helium

noun

he·​li·​um ˈhē-lē-əm 

ˈhēl-yəm

: a chemical element of the noble gas group with atomic number 2 that is found especially in natural gases and used chiefly for inflating airships and balloons, as a coolant for superconductors, and as a component of inert atmospheres (as in welding)

—often used before another noun

helium balloons

helium gas

see Chemical Elements Table

Examples of helium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

His voice, which sounded like Alvin and the Chipmunks sucked helium out of a balloon, became synonymous with the fictional character. —Skyler Caruso, People.com, 14 Feb. 2025

However, powerful radio-frequency waves are hard to generate, requiring expensive superconducting cavities cooled to the temperature of liquid helium. —The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2025

Flying Whales View 17 Images View gallery - 17 images Imagine a massive high-tech helium balloon that stretches well over an NFL football field in length, has more cargo capacity than an Airbus Beluga XL, and produces multi megawatts of power for nearly three dozen propellers. —New Atlas, 6 Feb. 2025

But in both liquid helium and Rochelle salt, further heating destroys the order. —Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 16 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek hēlios

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for helium

• cilium

Kids Definition

helium

noun

he·​li·​um ˈhē-lē-əm 

: a light colorless nonflammable element that is found in various natural gases and is used especially to blow up balloons see element

Medical Definition

helium

noun

he·​li·​um ˈhē-lē-əm 

: a light colorless nonflammable gaseous element found especially in natural gases and used chiefly for inflating airships and balloons, for filling incandescent lamps, and for cryogenic research

—symbol He see Chemical Elements Table