beryllium
noun
be·ryl·li·um
bə-ˈri-lē-əm 
: a chemical element of the alkaline earth metal group with atomic number 4 that occurs naturally in minerals such as beryl and is steel-gray in color, light and strong but brittle, and is used chiefly as a hardening agent in alloys see Chemical Elements Table
Examples of beryllium in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Turning the rods with the beryllium side in sustains the fission reaction.
—
Amy Shira Teitel, Discover Magazine, 28 Mar. 2019
The early universe was made of something like 75% hydrogen, 25% helium, and traces of lithium and beryllium (that is, elements one through four, for those of you looking at a table of the elements).
—Korey Haynes, Discover Magazine, 22 Oct. 2018
Later that month electrical contract workers were exposed to hazardous beryllium dust while replacing lights.
—Abe Streep, Scientific American, 10 Nov. 2023
To double-check the finding, the researchers compared the date to beryllium levels – another chemical created by cosmic rays – in Greenland ice cores, and found confirmation.
—Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 10 Oct. 2023
Paul Bierman’s laboratory at the University of Vermont dated the sample’s last time near the surface in a different way, using rare radioactive isotopes of aluminum and beryllium.
—Paul Bierman, Fortune, 24 July 2023
The molten salt will likely be a mixture of lithium fluoride and beryllium fluoride, known as FLiBe.
—IEEE Spectrum, 15 July 2023
The final beryllium mirror was a 6.5-meter array of 18 hexagonal beryllium mirrors, each weighing about 20 kilograms.
—IEEE Spectrum, 6 July 2022
The lithium nuclei would rapidly decay, first into beryllium and then into helium, and emit radiation.
—Mark Anderson, Discover Magazine, 22 Oct. 2012
Amy Shira Teitel, Discover Magazine, 28 Mar. 2019
The early universe was made of something like 75% hydrogen, 25% helium, and traces of lithium and beryllium (that is, elements one through four, for those of you looking at a table of the elements).
—Korey Haynes, Discover Magazine, 22 Oct. 2018
Later that month electrical contract workers were exposed to hazardous beryllium dust while replacing lights.
—Abe Streep, Scientific American, 10 Nov. 2023
To double-check the finding, the researchers compared the date to beryllium levels – another chemical created by cosmic rays – in Greenland ice cores, and found confirmation.
—Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 10 Oct. 2023
Paul Bierman’s laboratory at the University of Vermont dated the sample’s last time near the surface in a different way, using rare radioactive isotopes of aluminum and beryllium.
—Paul Bierman, Fortune, 24 July 2023
The molten salt will likely be a mixture of lithium fluoride and beryllium fluoride, known as FLiBe.
—IEEE Spectrum, 15 July 2023
The final beryllium mirror was a 6.5-meter array of 18 hexagonal beryllium mirrors, each weighing about 20 kilograms.
—IEEE Spectrum, 6 July 2022
The lithium nuclei would rapidly decay, first into beryllium and then into helium, and emit radiation.
—Mark Anderson, Discover Magazine, 22 Oct. 2012
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beryllium.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near beryllium
Cite this Entry
“Beryllium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beryllium. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
beryllium
noun
be·ryl·li·um
bə-ˈril-ē-əm
: a steel-gray light strong brittle toxic metallic element used chiefly to help harden alloys see element
Medical Definition
beryllium
noun
be·ryl·li·um
bə-ˈril-ē-əm
: a steel-gray light strong brittle toxic bivalent metallic element used chiefly as a hardening agent in alloys
—symbol Be
see Chemical Elements Table
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share