nihonium

[ nee-haw-nee-uhm ]

noun

, Chemistry, Physics.

1. a superheavy, synthetic, radioactive element with a short half-life. : Nh; : 113.

Word History and Origins

Origin of nihonium¹

Named in 2016 ; after Nihon ( def ) + -ium ( def )

Example Sentences

Japan discovered its first element, nihonium, No. 113, in 2004, and Chapman reports that Japanese children read mangas dramatizing the work of the country’s top nuclear physicist, Kosuke Morita.

From The New Yorker

When nihonium was officially added to the periodic table, in 2016, Crown Prince Naruhito was deeply moved: at a special ceremony, he reminisced about copying the periodic table by hand as a boy.

From The New Yorker

Nihonium gets a manga-style treatment, and Krypton’s name is written by a lighted tube.

From Washington Post

Please welcome to the periodic table: nihonium, moscovium, tennessine and oganesson.

From Seattle Times

Please welcome to the periodic table: Nihonium, Moscovium, Tennessine and Oganesson.

From New York Times