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barium

 - 6 dictionary results

bar⋅i⋅um

  [bair-ee-uhm, bar-]
–noun Chemistry.
a whitish, malleable, active, divalent, metallic element, occurring in combination chiefly as barite or as witherite. Symbol: Ba; atomic weight: 137.34; atomic number: 56; specific gravity: 3.5 at 20°C.
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Origin:
1800–10; bar(ytes) + -ium
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
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bar·i·um   (bâr'ē-əm, bār'-)   
n.   Symbol Ba
A soft, silvery-white alkaline-earth metal, used to deoxidize copper and in various alloys. Atomic number 56; atomic weight 137.33; melting point 725°C; boiling point 1,140°C; specific gravity 3.50; valence 2. See Table at element.

[bar(yta) + -ium.]
bar'ic (-ĭk) adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

barium 
1808, Mod.L., from Gk. barys "heavy;" so called by its discoverer, Eng. chemist Sir Humphrey Davy (1778-1829) because it was present in the mineral barytes "heavy spar," from Gk. barys "heavy" (see grave (adj.)).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: bar·i·um
Pronunciation: 'bar-E-&m, 'ber-
Function: noun
: a silver-white malleable toxic bivalent metallic element of thealkaline-earth group that occurs only in combination —symbol Ba; —see ELEMENT table
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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barium bar·i·um (bâr'ē-əm, bār'-)
n.
Symbol Ba
A soft alkaline-earth metal used to deoxidize copper. Atomic number 56; atomic weight 137.33; melting point 727°C; boiling point 1,897°C; specific gravity 3.50; valence 2.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Science Dictionary
barium   (bâr'ē-əm)  Pronunciation Key 
Symbol Ba
A soft, silvery-white metallic element of the alkaline-earth group. It occurs only in combination with other elements, especially in barite. Barium compounds are used in x-raying the digestive system and in making fireworks and white pigments. Atomic number 56; atomic weight 137.33; melting point 725°C; boiling point 1,140°C; specific gravity 3.50; valence 2. See Periodic Table.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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