| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| Berzelius (bər-zē'lē-əs) Pronunciation Key
Swedish chemist who is regarded as one of the founders of modern chemistry. Berzelius developed the concepts of the ion and of ionic compounds and made extensive determinations of atomic weights. In 1811 he introduced the classical system of chemical symbols, in which the names of elements are identified by one or two letters. |