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heavy water
noun
1
: the compound D2O composed of deuterium and oxygen
called also deuterium oxide
2
: water enriched in deuterium
Examples of heavy water in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Notwithstanding its affirmations of Iranian compliance, the IAEA has acknowledged that Iran violated the JCPOA twice by exceeding its limit on heavy water, a key material for the production of a plutonium bomb.
—Tzvi Kahn, Foreign Affairs, 16 Feb. 2017
This geometric frustration is even worse in ices made of heavy water, whose hydrogen atoms have a neutron as well as a proton—a problem for scientists who use heavy ices in experiments to reveal ice crystals’ precise structures.
—Elise Cutts, Scientific American, 19 Mar. 2024
Explore our new section Opponents say the tunnel is a boondoggle that would further imperil the delta’s fragile ecosystem, which has already been eroded by heavy water withdrawals for agriculture and cities.
—Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024
Additionally, the sanctions waiver also applies to the export of enriched uranium and heavy water outside of Iran which was needed to keep Iran within its stockpile limits under the 2015 nuclear deal, intended to stop Iran from gaining the capacity to produce a nuclear weapon.
—William Mauldin, WSJ, 4 Feb. 2022
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Word History
First Known Use
1933, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near heavy water
Cite this Entry
“Heavy water.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavy%20water. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
heavy water
noun
: water enriched in deuterium
Medical Definition
heavy water
noun1
: the compound D2O composed of deuterium and oxygen
called also deuterium oxide
2
: water having a higher-than-usual proportion of deuterium among its hydrogen atoms
More from Merriam-Webster on heavy water
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about heavy water
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