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radium
[ rey-dee-uhm ]
noun
- Chemistry. a highly radioactive metallic element whose decay yields radon gas and alpha rays. : Ra; : 226; : 88.
- a lustrous rayon or silk fabric constructed in plain weave and used in women's apparel, lining, and drapery.
radium
/ ˈreɪdɪəm /
noun
- a highly radioactive luminescent white element of the alkaline earth group of metals. It occurs in pitchblende, carnotite, and other uranium ores, and is used in radiotherapy and in luminous paints. Symbol: Ra; atomic no: 88; half-life of most stable isotope, 226Ra: 1620 years; valency: 2; relative density: 5; melting pt: 700°C; boiling pt: 1140°C
- ( as modifier )
radium needle
radium
/ rā′dē-əm /
- A rare, bright-white, highly radioactive element of the alkaline-earth group. It occurs naturally in very small amounts in ores and minerals containing uranium, and it is naturally luminescent. Radium is used as a source of radon gas for the treatment of disease and as a neutron source for scientific research. Its most stable isotope is Ra 226 with a half-life of 1,622 years. Atomic number 88; melting point 700°C; boiling point 1,737°C; valence 2.
- See Periodic Table
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Word History and Origins
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Word History and Origins
Origin of radium1
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Example Sentences
It was full of heavy metals and radium, a by-product of uranium’s decay.
Where there’s now a hump of radium and dust, the community envisions an event center that could host car shows and concerts.
The heap contains radium, which uranium produces when it decays.
We know now that radium, or at least radio-active substances, represent the philosopher's stone of the olden time.
Radium was discovered in 1898 by M. and Madame Curie and M. Bmont, while experimenting with the uranium mineral pitchblende.
It seems that an atom of radium does actually disintegrate, and by disintegrating give out energy.
"They are using radium repellent rays to keep us from approaching," he informed.
The cost of one pound of radium is variously estimated at from one to three millions of dollars.
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