heavy water

noun

1
: the compound D2O composed of deuterium and oxygen

called also deuterium oxide

2
: water enriched in deuterium

Examples of heavy water in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Cindy Pugsley, who lives about 10 miles north of downtown Durango, documented the flooding in her neighborhood with her cellphone as heavy water flows transformed familiar roads, leaving residents uncertain about what the next few hours would bring. — Kelly Werthmann, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026 There’s history, revolution, spies, plus a desperate dash to keep a dangerous scientific breakthrough – heavy water – out of the hands of the baddies. — Monitor Reviewers, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct. 2026 That’s a no-no for the National Flood Insurance Program and the Florida Building Code, because single family homes are not usually designed to handle the weight of all that heavy, heavy water pushing on them. — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026 Its supply of heavy water had come from a single plant in Norway that was destroyed in 1944. — Mike McRae 06, New Atlas, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for heavy water

Word History

First Known Use

1933, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of heavy water was in 1933

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Heavy water.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavy%20water. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

Kids Definition

heavy water

noun
: water enriched in deuterium

Medical Definition

heavy water

noun
1
: the compound D2O composed of deuterium and oxygen

called also deuterium oxide

2
: water having a higher-than-usual proportion of deuterium among its hydrogen atoms

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