polonium

noun

po·​lo·​ni·​um pə-ˈlō-nē-əm How to pronounce polonium (audio)
: a radioactive metallic element that has similar chemical properties to tellurium and bismuth, is produced mainly from the radioactive decay of neutron-irradiated bismuth, and emits an alpha particle to form an isotope of lead see Chemical Elements Table

Examples of polonium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The double Nobel Prize winner is most famous for her discovery of radioactivity, as well as the radioactive elements radium and polonium. Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024 This was the same year that a former FSB officer, Alexander Litvinenko, was assassinated in London with radioactive polonium. Calder Walton, Foreign Affairs, 19 July 2023 Their discovery of radioactive elements radium and polonium earned them the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics, shared with Henri Becquerel. Lacy Schley, Discover Magazine, 18 Apr. 2017 Russian operatives poisoned Alexander Litvinenko with radioactive polonium and turned him into a human dirty bomb and polonium was spread all around London at every spot that poor man visited. Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 21 Mar. 2022 See all Example Sentences for polonium 

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Medieval Latin Polonia

First Known Use

1898, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of polonium was in 1898

Dictionary Entries Near polonium

Cite this Entry

“Polonium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polonium. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

polonium

noun
po·​lo·​ni·​um pə-ˈlō-nē-əm How to pronounce polonium (audio)
: a radioactive metallic element that is found in pitchblende and decays to form lead see element

Medical Definition

polonium

noun
po·​lo·​ni·​um pə-ˈlō-nē-əm How to pronounce polonium (audio)
: a radioactive metallic element that is similar chemically to tellurium and bismuth, occurs especially in pitchblende and radium-lead residues, and emits an alpha particle to form an isotope of lead
symbol Po
see Chemical Elements Table

More from Merriam-Webster on polonium

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