radium

[ rey-dee-uhm ]

noun

1. Chemistry. a highly radioactive metallic element whose decay yields radon gas and alpha rays. : Ra; : 226; : 88.
2. a lustrous rayon or silk fabric constructed in plain weave and used in women's apparel, lining, and drapery.

radium

/ ˈreɪdɪəm /

noun

1. 1. a highly radioactive luminescent white element of the alkaline earth group of metals. It occurs in pitchblende, carnotite, and other uranium ores, and is used in radiotherapy and in luminous paints. Symbol: Ra; atomic no: 88; half-life of most stable isotope, ²²⁶Ra: 1620 years; valency: 2; relative density: 5; melting pt: 700°C; boiling pt: 1140°C
   2. ( as modifier )

      radium needle

radium

/ rā′dē-əm /

1. A rare, bright-white, highly radioactive element of the alkaline-earth group. It occurs naturally in very small amounts in ores and minerals containing uranium, and it is naturally luminescent. Radium is used as a source of radon gas for the treatment of disease and as a neutron source for scientific research. Its most stable isotope is Ra 226 with a half-life of 1,622 years. Atomic number 88; melting point 700°C; boiling point 1,737°C; valence 2.
2. See Periodic Table

radium

1. A naturally occurring radioactive chemical element . Its symbol is Ra.

Notes

Radium was discovered by the chemists Marie and Pierre Curie .

Word History and Origins

Origin of radium¹

1895–1900; < New Latin, equivalent to Latin rad ( ius ) ray ( radius ) + -ium -ium

Word History and Origins

Origin of radium¹

C20: from Latin radius ray

Example Sentences

The researchers found that, even years later, the tissue and shells of mussels contained radium that could be traced to wastewater from fracking in the Marcellus Shale.

From Science Daily

Wastewater treatment facilities remove major contaminants, including radium, before discharging the water into surface water, like rivers, according to researchers.

From Science Daily

The researchers found that half a kilometer downstream of a discharge site, mussels had approximately double the total radium levels as those upstream of the discharge site.

From Science Daily

And mussels five kilometers downstream of a discharge site had less than the mussels closer to the site, but still had a measurable amount of radium.

From Science Daily

The system can be adapted to detect other similar contaminants in water, including cadmium, copper, lithium, barium, cesium, and radium, Ranno says.

From Science Daily