iodine

noun

io·​dine ˈī-ə-ˌdīn  -dᵊn  -ˌdēn 

1

: a nonmetallic halogen element with atomic number 53 that is an essential nutrient in the human diet and is used especially in medicine, photography, and analytical chemistry

—often used before another noun

iodine deficiency

iodine levels

iodine supplements

see Chemical Elements Table

2

: a tincture of iodine used especially as a topical antiseptic

The formerly popular antiseptic known as iodine is a tincture—a solution of iodine in alcohol.

—Regina and Douglas Haggo

Did you know?

Iodine is a nonmetallic chemical element and the heaviest nonradioactive halogen. It is a very nearly black crystalline solid that can turn to a deep violet, irritating vapor. In nature it is never found uncombined, and occurs mostly in brines and seaweeds. Dietary iodine is essential for thyroid gland function, so table salt usually has potassium iodide added to prevent iodine deficiency. Elemental iodine is used in medicine, in synthesizing some organic chemicals, in manufacturing dyes, in analytical chemistry, and in photography. The radioactive isotope I-131, with an eight-day half-life, is very useful in medicine and other applications.

Examples of iodine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This whisky is intensely peaty and smoky, with rich flavors of seaweed, iodine, and spices, complemented by a long, powerful finish. —Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024

In radioactive iodine ablation, people take radioactive iodine by mouth to destroy the thyroid gland’s cells, which ease the symptoms of Graves’. —Becky Upham, EverydayHealth.com, 13 Aug. 2024

An array of radioactive substances had been released during the disaster, including plutonium and uranium, but scientists were also on the lookout for harmful levels of radioactive cesium and iodine isotopes, which turned out to be the abundant and far-reaching contaminants of agricultural land. —Kate Graham-Shaw, Scientific American, 9 Oct. 2024

While some water purification tablets do last indefinitely if unopened (like iodine), others have a shelf life of five years or less. —Laura Lancaster, Outdoor Life, 2 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French iode "iodine" (borrowed from Greek ioeidḗs "violet-colored," from íon "the color violet"—going back to *wion, akin to the source of Latin viola "the violet flower"— + -o-eidēs -oid entry 2) + -ine entry 2 (after chlorine, fluorine) — more at violet

Note: The French word iode was apparently introduced by the chemists Bernard Courtois (1777-1838) and Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac (1778-1850); cf. B. Courtois, "Découverte d'une substance nouvelle dans le Vareck," Annales de chimie, tome 88 (1813), p. 305: "La substance nouvelle, que depuis on a nommé iode à cause de la belle couleur violette de sa vapeur, a bien tout l'aspect d'un métal." ("The new substance, which since has been named iode because of the beautiful violet color of its vapor, has all the appearance of a metal.") Note that a borrowing from Greek ioeidḗs should properly have yielded ioïde in French rather than iode; the direct source of the latter may have been iṓdēs "rust-colored," a derivative of íos "rust, verdigris," taken erroneously to be a derivative of íon "the color violet."

First Known Use

1814, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing iodine

• quartz-iodine lamp

Kids Definition

iodine

noun

io·​dine ˈī-ə-ˌdīn 

-əd-ᵊn,

-ə-ˌdēn

variants also iodin

ˈī-əd-ᵊn

1

: a nonmetallic element that is obtained usually as heavy shining blackish gray crystals and is used especially in medicine and photography see element

2

: a solution of iodine in alcohol used to kill germs

Medical Definition

iodine

noun

io·​dine ˈī-ə-ˌdīn  -əd-ᵊn  -ə-ˌdēn 

1

: a nonmetallic halogen chemical element with atomic number 53 that is an essential nutrient in the human diet and is used especially in medicine (as in antisepsis and in the treatment of goiter and cretinism), photography, and analytical chemistry

—symbol I see Chemical Elements Table

2

: a tincture of iodine used especially as a topical antiseptic