xenon

[ zee-non, zen-on ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a heavy, colorless, chemically inactive, monatomic gaseous element used for filling radio, television, and luminescent tubes. : Xe; : 131.30; : 54.

xenon

/ ˈzɛnɒn /

noun

1. a colourless odourless gaseous element occurring in trace amounts in air; formerly considered inert it is now known to form compounds and is used in radio valves, stroboscopic and bactericidal lamps, and bubble chambers. Symbol: Xe; atomic no: 54; atomic wt: 131.29; valency: 0; density: 5.887 kg/m³; melting pt: –111.76°C; boiling pt: –108.0°C

xenon

/ zē′nŏn′ /

1. A colorless, odorless element in the noble gas group occurring in extremely small amounts in the atmosphere. It was the first noble gas found to form compounds with other elements. Xenon is used in lamps that make intense flashes, such as strobe lights and flashbulbs for photography. Atomic number 54; atomic weight 131.29; melting point −111.9°C; boiling point −107.1°C; density (gas) 5.887 grams per liter; specific gravity (liquid) 3.52 (−109°C).
2. See Periodic Table

Word History and Origins

Origin of xenon¹

1898; < Greek xénon, neuter of xénos strange ( -on ² ); name introduced by William Ramsay, the element's discoverer

Word History and Origins

Origin of xenon¹

C19: from Greek: something strange

Example Sentences

The undefined “glitch” led to a drop in the electrical power that strips electrons from neutral xenon gas atoms and accelerates the resulting positive ions to produce thrust far more efficiently than chemical rockets.

From Science Magazine

These results agreed well with the Duisburg-Essen group's results that used argon and xenon ions.

From Science Daily

A currently unexplained phenomenon is the loss of the unreactive gas xenon from our atmosphere more than 2.5 billion years ago.

From Science Daily

Backlit by a rig of xenon strobe lights and silhouetted by arena-grade fog that engulfed the dance floor in a blissed-out haze, Christ did the most to bring a religious experience to the room.

From New York Times

Such a detector would push the liquid xenon approach to its limit, because at that size, it would be sensitive enough to begin detecting a flood of particles called neutrinos from the Sun.

From Science Magazine