hydrogen
noun
hy·dro·gen
ˈhī-drə-jən 
-dər-
: a nonmetallic gaseous chemical element with atomic number 1 that is the simplest and lightest of the elements and that is used especially in the processing of fossil fuels and the synthesis of ammonia
—often used before another noun
hydrogen gas
hydrogen atoms
a hydrogen vehicle
the hydrogen industry
see Chemical Elements Table compare deuterium, tritium
Examples of hydrogen in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The experiment involved directing an electron beam from the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility (CEBAF) onto a hydrogen target inside the CLAS12 detector.
—
Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 13 Sep. 2025
This breathtaking image from James Sinclair gives us a detailed view of a section of the sun's atmosphere known as the chromosphere — a chaotic region where hydrogen and helium plasma is molded and reshaped by our star's ever-shifting magnetic field.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 12 Sep. 2025
But with prices consistently uncompetitive, demand scant, and government incentives in the US and elsewhere drying up, there’s a growing perception in energy circles that the hydrogen bubble has burst.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2025
There are the super-Earth worlds that are largely close in size to Earth, without volatile-rich gas envelopes, and the significantly larger mini-Neptune worlds, which possess large gas envelopes, rich in hydrogen and helium, surrounding them.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hydrogen
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Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 13 Sep. 2025
This breathtaking image from James Sinclair gives us a detailed view of a section of the sun's atmosphere known as the chromosphere — a chaotic region where hydrogen and helium plasma is molded and reshaped by our star's ever-shifting magnetic field.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 12 Sep. 2025
But with prices consistently uncompetitive, demand scant, and government incentives in the US and elsewhere drying up, there’s a growing perception in energy circles that the hydrogen bubble has burst.
—Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2025
There are the super-Earth worlds that are largely close in size to Earth, without volatile-rich gas envelopes, and the significantly larger mini-Neptune worlds, which possess large gas envelopes, rich in hydrogen and helium, surrounding them.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 10 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hydrogen
Cite this Entry
“Hydrogen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hydrogen. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hydrogen
noun
hy·dro·gen
ˈhī-drə-jən
: a chemical element that is the simplest and lightest of all chemical elements and is normally found alone as a colorless odorless highly flammable gas having two atoms per molecule see element
Etymology
from French hydrogène "hydrogen," from hydr- "water" and -gène "producer"; so called because when hydrogen gas burns, it combines with oxygen to produce water
Medical Definition
hydrogen
noun
hy·dro·gen
ˈhī-drə-jən
: a nonmetallic element that is the simplest and lightest of the elements and that is normally a colorless odorless highly flammable diatomic gas
—symbol H
see deuterium, tritium Chemical Elements Table
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