nihonium

noun

ni·​ho·​ni·​um ni-ˈhō-nē-əm How to pronounce nihonium (audio)
: a short-lived, artificially produced radioactive element that has 113 protons
symbol Nh
see Chemical Elements Table

Examples of nihonium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (the organization charged with naming the elements) has suggested these should be called nihonium (Nh); moscovium (Mc); tennessine (Ts) and oganesson (Og) and is expected to confirm the proposal in November. Mark Lorch, Discover Magazine, 9 June 2016 In January, an international collaboration of scientists added four new elements to the periodic table: nihonium, moscovium, tennessine and oganesson. Eric Betz, Discover Magazine, 20 Dec. 2016

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

Word History

Etymology

Japanese nihon "Japan" + -ium; so named because the element was produced at the RIKEN Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science in Wakō, Japan

First Known Use

2016, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of nihonium was in 2016

Dictionary Entries Near nihonium

Cite this Entry

“Nihonium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nihonium. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

nihonium

noun
ni·​ho·​ni·​um ni-ˈhō-nē-əm How to pronounce nihonium (audio)
: a short-lived artificially produced radioactive element see element
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