gelbstoff

Meaning

Noun

• The optically measurable component of dissolved organic matter in water, which primarily occurs naturally from tannin released from decaying detritus. As the amount of organic matter increases, it causes the water to appear green, yellow-green, and then brown.

Related

Similar words

• colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM)
• chromophoric dissolved organic matter
• yellow substance

Origin

• Borrowed from German Gelbstoff (coined by K. Kalle in a 1966 article: see the quotation), from German gelb ("amber, yellow") (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃wós ("yellow"), from *ǵʰelh₃- + *-wós) + German Stoff ("matter, stuff, substance") (from Proto-West Germanic *stoppōn ("to close; to fill, stop up"), possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tew- ("to hit; to push")).