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
IonQ uses individual atoms of ytterbium and barium as qubits within an ultra-high vacuum, protecting them from the outside world.
—
Aldo Svaldi, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
Other testing by the state’s environmental quality department found elevated levels of heavy metals commonly found in oil field wastewater including barium and bromide.
—Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 18 May 2026
The synthesis process consists of mixing bismuth ferrite with barium titanate to carefully engineer a strain, then growing the mixture as a thin film on a substrate that distorts its crystal structure.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 29 Apr. 2026
Volcanic activity reacts with seawater, fueling bursts of marine life at these vents, and also forming rocks rich in copper, gold, zinc, lead, barium and silver.
—Leonardo MacElloni, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for barium
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Aldo Svaldi, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
Other testing by the state’s environmental quality department found elevated levels of heavy metals commonly found in oil field wastewater including barium and bromide.
—Nick Bowlin, ProPublica, 18 May 2026
The synthesis process consists of mixing bismuth ferrite with barium titanate to carefully engineer a strain, then growing the mixture as a thin film on a substrate that distorts its crystal structure.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 29 Apr. 2026
Volcanic activity reacts with seawater, fueling bursts of marine life at these vents, and also forming rocks rich in copper, gold, zinc, lead, barium and silver.
—Leonardo MacElloni, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for barium
Cite this Entry
“Barium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barium. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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Medical Definition
barium
noun
bar·i·um
ˈbar-ē-əm, ˈber- 
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
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