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polonium
noun
po·lo·ni·um
pə-ˈlō-nē-əm
: a radioactive metallic element that has similar chemical properties to tellurium and bismuth, is produced mainly from the radioactive decay of neutron-irradiated bismuth, and emits an alpha particle to form an isotope of lead see Chemical Elements Table
Examples of polonium in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This was the same year that a former FSB officer, Alexander Litvinenko, was assassinated in London with radioactive polonium.
—Calder Walton, Foreign Affairs, 19 July 2023
Their discovery of radioactive elements radium and polonium earned them the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics, shared with Henri Becquerel.
—Lacy Schley, Discover Magazine, 18 Apr. 2017
Russian operatives poisoned Alexander Litvinenko with radioactive polonium and turned him into a human dirty bomb and polonium was spread all around London at every spot that poor man visited.
—Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 21 Mar. 2022
Poisons in books, TV and film Novel writers and television and movie screenwriters have exploited numerous poisons in their works, including those that are chemical elements, such as arsenic and polonium, and those derived from animals, such as snake venom and blowfish poison.
—Brad Reisfeld, The Conversation, 21 Mar. 2023
See all Example Sentences for polonium
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'polonium.' 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
New Latin, from Medieval Latin Polonia
First Known Use
1898, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near polonium
Cite this Entry
“Polonium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polonium. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.
Kids Definition
polonium
noun
po·lo·ni·um
pə-ˈlō-nē-əm
: a radioactive metallic element that is found in pitchblende and decays to form lead see element
Medical Definition
polonium
noun
po·lo·ni·um
pə-ˈlō-nē-əm
: a radioactive metallic element that is similar chemically to tellurium and bismuth, occurs especially in pitchblende and radium-lead residues, and emits an alpha particle to form an isotope of lead
—symbol Po
see Chemical Elements Table
More from Merriam-Webster on polonium
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about polonium
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