heavy water

noun

1
: the compound D2O composed of deuterium and oxygen

called also deuterium oxide

2
: water enriched in deuterium

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web The heavy water pulled me under. The Editors, Field & Stream, 5 June 2020 James Webb Space Telescope discovers its first exoplanet The research team studied a variation called heavy water, detected in V883 Orionis’ disk? Ashley Strickland, CNN, 8 Mar. 2023 Lindgren and his paddling buddies — some of whom, like him, travel the world in pursuit of heavy water — have been studying forecasts for the past week, transfixed. Gregory Thomas, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Jan. 2023 But because deuterium is heavier than hydrogen, heavy water is less likely to dissociate. The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 20 Dec. 2022 Brewers and other heavy water users have landed at the center of the climate fight in Mexico as the government and industry confront water shortages in the north. Lorena Ríos, New York Times, 13 Nov. 2022 The Dutch government has tiptoed around raising prices for heavy water users, wary of a backlash. Raymond Zhong, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Oct. 2022 Instead, the samples weighed in with about 25 percent less heavy water compared with normal water — far less than expected. Nola Taylor Redd, Discover Magazine, 1 Nov. 2019 Such reactors use heavy water as a coolant and produce plutonium as a waste product, which can be used in nuclear weapons. Laurence Norman, WSJ, 25 May 2022 See More

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

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

Dictionary Entries Near heavy water

Cite this Entry

“Heavy water.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heavy%20water. Accessed 8 Jun. 2023.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on heavy water

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