Main Entry: no·bel·i·um

Pronunciation: \nō-ˈbel-ē-əm\

Function: noun

: a radioactive element produced artificially—symbol North; see element table

No·bel \nō-ˈbel\ , Alfred Bernhard (1833–1896), Swedish inventor and philanthropist. A manufacturer of explosives, Nobel developed many inventions, his first in 1863 being a detonator for liquid nitroglycerin. Later, after considerable experimentation, he patented dynamite in 1867. His invention transformed the manufacture of explosives. He is most famous for bequeathing his fortune for the establishment of the Nobel Prizes. Nobelium was discovered in 1957.