hydrogen

noun

hy·​dro·​gen ˈhī-drə-jən 

-dər-

: a nonmetallic gaseous chemical element with atomic number 1 that is the simplest and lightest of the elements and that is used especially in the processing of fossil fuels and the synthesis of ammonia

—often used before another noun

hydrogen gas

hydrogen atoms

a hydrogen vehicle

the hydrogen industry

see Chemical Elements Table compare deuterium, tritium

hydrogenous

hī-ˈdrä-jə-nəs 

adjective

Examples of hydrogen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Advertisement However, producing hydrogen itself can be very dirty. —Russ Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2024

Interest in hydrogen as a fuel that produces only water as a waste product when consumed in a fuel cell appears to be booming around the world. —Kelly Sims Gallagher, Foreign Affairs, 23 Apr. 2024

Some of these metals, such as palladium, are used in the production of catalysts for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, said Jeremy Mehta, technology manager at the Department of Energy’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office. —Maddie Stone / Grist, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024

Rasool says California has awarded $22 million for green hydrogen projects, including three plants that will tap renewable electricity to power electrolyzers, which produce hydrogen from water. —Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024

The green tinge results from a chemical reaction between the sulfur in the egg white and the hydrogen in the yolk. —USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024

As methanol and hydrogen fuel cells evolve in preparation for installation and use on board superyachts, the use of HVO offers a quick and easy way to improve a yacht’s environmental profile. —Kathleen Turner, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

The state is also trying to green the hydrogen itself. —Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024

That development, which would use a solar power array to strip hydrogen from the water, is on federal land, which Mayes said would complicate such an effort. —The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French hydrogène, from hydr- + -gène -gen; from the fact that water is generated by its combustion

First Known Use

1788, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing hydrogen

• heavy hydrogen
• hydrogen bomb
• hydrogen bond
• hydrogen bromide
• hydrogen chloride
• hydrogen cyanide
• hydrogen fluoride
• hydrogen iodide
• hydrogen ion
• hydrogen peroxide
• hydrogen sulfide

Kids Definition

hydrogen

noun

hy·​dro·​gen ˈhī-drə-jən 

: a chemical element that is the simplest and lightest of all chemical elements and is normally found alone as a colorless odorless highly flammable gas having two atoms per molecule see element

hydrogenous

hī-ˈdräj-ə-nəs 

adjective

Etymology

from French hydrogène "hydrogen," from hydr- "water" and -gène "producer"; so called because when hydrogen gas burns, it combines with oxygen to produce water

Medical Definition

hydrogen

noun

hy·​dro·​gen ˈhī-drə-jən 

: a nonmetallic element that is the simplest and lightest of the elements and that is normally a colorless odorless highly flammable diatomic gas

—symbol H see deuterium, tritium Chemical Elements Table

hydrogenous

hī-ˈdräj-ə-nəs 

adjective