barium

noun

bar·​i·​um ˈber-ē-əm How to pronounce barium (audio)
1
: a silver-white metallic element of the alkaline earth metal group with atomic number 56 that is used especially in drilling fluid, as a getter in vacuum tubes, and as a contrast agent in medical imaging see Chemical Elements Table
2

Examples of barium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Most of those listed appear to be common: formaldehyde sounds scary but it’s found in household building materials; barium and cadmium are natural elements with widespread usage, and PFAS are prevalent from a wide variety of sources. Michael Lynch, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 Plenty of other scientific luminaries have their work commemorated in the Royal Institution's collection, including that of Faraday's mentor, Humphry Davy, who discovered the chemical elements barium, strontium, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 26 Dec. 2023 Metals, from lead, mercury, and copper to zinc, antimony, and barium, are increasingly common in weapons and munitions, with levels of toxicity that could potentially also put selective pressure on bacteria to develop resistance to drugs. Manica Balasegaram, STAT, 28 Dec. 2023 The teal stars are made of a barium nitrate mixture and the red stars are a blend of strontium salts. Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 30 June 2022 Instead, Hahn found barium, a much lighter element. Katrina Miller, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2023 If one of those pieces were barium, Meitner mused, the other would have to be another light element called krypton. Katrina Miller, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2023 Inhibited in utero by the placenta, barium levels increase immediately after birth upon the initiation of breastfeeding. Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 22 May 2013 The tape is made up of yttrium barium copper oxide deposited on a steel substrate. IEEE Spectrum, 15 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'barium.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from bar-

First Known Use

1808, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of barium was in 1808

Dictionary Entries Near barium

Cite this Entry

“Barium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barium. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

barium

noun
bar·​i·​um ˈbar-ē-əm How to pronounce barium (audio)
ˈber-
: a silver-white poisonous metallic element see element

Medical Definition

barium

noun
bar·​i·​um ˈbar-ē-əm, ˈber- How to pronounce barium (audio)
1
: a silver-white malleable toxic bivalent metallic element of the alkaline-earth group that occurs only in combination
symbol Ba
see Chemical Elements Table
2

More from Merriam-Webster on barium

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