periodic table

noun

: an arrangement of chemical elements based on the periodic law
periodic table table

Examples of periodic table in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Lead, explained Lead — atomic number 82 on the periodic table — is soft, plentiful, and easy to mine and manipulate, which is why humans have been harnessing it for various purposes for thousands of years. Dylan Matthews, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018 The name was chosen from the symbol for carbon on the periodic table of elements, carbon being the basis of diamonds – the symbol of a 75th anniversary – and a little play on words see and sea. Bill Springer, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2024 Yes, gold is for jewelry, but beyond that, why is gold not just another element in the periodic table that is consigned to boring chemistry? Clem Chambers, Forbes, 24 Sep. 2024 At the high-mass end of the spectrum, somewhere between 65 to 90 times that is as massive as Jupiter, some brown dwarfs are capable of fusing lithium, the third element on the periodic table. Conor Feehly, Discover Magazine, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for periodic table 

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of periodic table was in 1890

Dictionary Entries Near periodic table

Cite this Entry

“Periodic table.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/periodic%20table. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

periodic table

noun
: an arrangement of chemical elements in order of atomic number that groups elements with common characteristics in the same area of the table

Medical Definition

periodic table

noun
: an arrangement of chemical elements based on the periodic law

More from Merriam-Webster on periodic table

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!