be·ryl·li·um | \ bə-ˈri-lē-əm 
\
\Definition of beryllium
: 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 Manhattan Project scientists sometimes skimped on the safeguards for the dangerous experiment—like removing the shims separating the two halves of the beryllium sphere housing the plutonium core.
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Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Lest we forget: Mark 75 years of the atomic bomb with the Ars watch list," 10 Aug. 2020 The terrain is laced with plutonium, uranium, beryllium, cesium 137, many other forms of ionizing radiation, and a long list of toxicants.
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Longreads, "The Grieving Landscape," 10 Aug. 2020 Many other toxic and radioactive contaminants have also been found at Rocky Flats in addition to plutonium: americium, uranium, cadmium, PCBs, beryllium, and more.
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Longreads, "The Grieving Landscape," 10 Aug. 2020 Slotin was using a screwdriver to tweak the experiment when the screwdriver slipped and the two halves of beryllium came together for a moment, producing an intense burst of hard radiation.
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Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Lest we forget: Mark 75 years of the atomic bomb with the Ars watch list," 10 Aug. 2020 Lithium, beryllium, and boron originate from cosmic rays that shoot across the universe.
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Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, "The Calcium in Your Teeth Comes from Exploding Stars," 10 Aug. 2020 In the early 1990s, water samples taken from Boulder Creek showed levels of arsenic, copper, beryllium and other contaminants exceeding standards, Oppleman said.
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Ian James, azcentral, "Arizona company ordered to pay $5 million for arsenic leak from old mine," 29 May 2020 Argon can be measured from the lava flows as the radioactive decay of potassium occurs in the rocks, while beryllium can be measured in the ice cores.
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Ashley Strickland, CNN, "Earth's magnetic north pole is heading for Russia and scientists are puzzled," 18 Dec. 2019 Argon can be measured from the lava flows as the radioactive decay of potassium occurs in the rocks, while beryllium can be measured in the ice cores.
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Ashley Strickland, CNN, "Earth's magnetic north pole is heading for Russia and scientists are puzzled," 18 Dec. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'beryllium.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for beryllium
beryllium
nounbe·ryl·li·um | \ bə-ˈril-ē-əm \
\Medical Definition of beryllium
: a steel-gray light strong brittle toxic bivalent metallic element used chiefly as a hardening agent in alloys
—symbol Be — see Chemical Elements Table
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Time Traveler for beryllium
The first known use of beryllium was circa 1847
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