deuterium

noun

deu·​te·​ri·​um dü-ˈtir-ē-əm 

 also  dyü-

: an isotope of hydrogen that has one proton and one neutron in its nucleus and that has twice the mass of ordinary hydrogen

—symbol D

called also heavy hydrogen

Examples of deuterium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For context, his initial estimates suggest that a two-gigawatt deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion energy plant would require about 247 pounds (112 kilograms) of tritium annually to operate at full capacity. —Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 1 Sep. 2025

Since fusion reactions rely on fusing deuterium atoms, this overloading greatly increased the odds of this happening by an average of 15%. —New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2025

In the tokamak, scientists will heat up deuterium and tritium to 100 million degrees Celsius and fuse them together—producing heat that can be converted to electricity in the process. —Justin Worland, Time, 17 July 2025

The production rate of cosmogenic deuterium at the Moon’s surface. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 16 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek deuteros second

First Known Use

1933, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing deuterium

• deuterium oxide

Rhymes for deuterium

• bacterium
• delirium
• imperium
• puerperium
• venereum
• agrobacterium
• corynebacterium
• mycobacterium
• cyanobacterium
• magisterium
• ministerium

Kids Definition

deuterium

noun

deu·​te·​ri·​um d(y)ü-ˈtir-ē-əm 

: the hydrogen isotope that is twice the mass of ordinary hydrogen

called also heavy hydrogen

Medical Definition

deuterium

noun

deu·​te·​ri·​um d(y)ü-ˈtir-ē-əm 

: an isotope of hydrogen that has one proton and one neutron in its nucleus and that has twice the mass of ordinary hydrogen

called also heavy hydrogen