superheavy

American  

[soo-per-hev-ee] / ˌsu pərˈhɛv i /

adjective

superheavier, superheaviest

1. Chemistry, Physics. pertaining to any of a series of elements having an atomic number greater than 103.

2. heavier than usual for its kind.

   a superheavy oil; superheavy magnetic monopoles.

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superheavy British  

/ ˌsuːpəˈhɛvɪ /

adjective

1. physics denoting or relating to elements of high atomic number (above 109) postulated to exist with special stability as a consequence of the shell model of the nucleus

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Etymology

Origin of superheavy

First recorded in 1820–30; super- ( def. ) + heavy ( def. )

Example Sentences

This superheavy element would be something entirely new to our planet.

From BBC • Feb. 22, 2025

This led to the notion of a so-called island of stability of superheavy nuclei separated from uranium and its neighbors by a sea of instability.

From Science Daily • Feb. 13, 2024

An overview of the element discoveries and first chemical studies at GSI can be found in the article "Five decades of GSI superheavy element discoveries and chemical investigation," published in May 2022.

From Science Daily • Feb. 13, 2024

China, meanwhile, is working on its own superheavy rocket called the Long March 9 to transport humans and machinery to the moon and Mars as early as the 2030s.

From Scientific American • Apr. 12, 2022

Teller believed a promising option to fuel a Super bomb would be to use tritium, a superheavy isotope of hydrogen.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik