inert gas

noun

Examples of inert gas in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Its only byproduct is helium, an inert gas that doesn’t harm the environment. Aylin Woodward, WSJ, 13 Dec. 2022 Flaws in tubing used to circulate inert gas into fuel tanks to prevent explosions were found in 14 of 24 Air Force models of the fighter jet inspected, the Pentagon’s F-35 program office said in a previously undisclosed June 5 memo to congressional staff that highlighted the halt in deliveries. Anthony Capaccio, Bloomberg.com, 27 June 2020 Use a solid-core filler wire, surround it with an inert gas like argon or CO2, and your wire-feed welder becomes a MIG machine (Metal Inert Gas). Mike Allen, Popular Mechanics, 24 Mar. 2023 These are vacuum-sealed to remove air and water, filled with an inert gas such as helium to prevent corrosion, and welded shut. Andrew Grant, Discover Magazine, 1 Aug. 2011 Plasma torches pass an electric current through a jet of inert gas, typically nitrogen or argon, which ionizes the gas and heats it to temperatures over 20,000 degrees Celsius. M. Mitchell Waldrop, Discover Magazine, 26 Nov. 2022 The new method simply involves placing a wetsuit inside a pressure tank no bigger than a beer keg filled with a heavy inert gas such as xenon or krypton — which transfer far less heat than air does — for about a day. Charles Choi, Discover Magazine, 20 June 2018 Incandescent bulbs are constructed with a thin filament of tungsten wire surrounded by inert gas. Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 12 Jan. 2016 Early in the Lila emergency, the operator drilled three holes into the mine, then injected nitrogen, an inert gas that eventually pushed all the oxygen out of the mine, according to the BLM. Brian Maffly, The Salt Lake Tribune, 13 Dec. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inert gas.' 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

1898, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of inert gas was in 1898

Dictionary Entries Near inert gas

Cite this Entry

“Inert gas.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inert%20gas. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Medical Definition

inert gas

noun

More from Merriam-Webster on inert gas

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