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thallium
noun
thal·li·um
ˈtha-lē-əm
: a soft poisonous metallic element that resembles lead in physical properties, occurs sparsely in a number of common ores, and is used chiefly in the form of compounds especially in photosensitive devices and formerly as a pesticide see Chemical Elements Table
Examples of thallium in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Testing by the utility identified selenium and thallium in the effluent there.
—Connor Giffin, The Courier-Journal, 23 Jan. 2024
But the spotlight naturally pulls back to Beck, whose eidetic memory for faces, locations and even a stray box of thallium salts at the crime scene suggests a level of expertise honed in places far beyond Lincoln County.
—Paula L. Woods, Los Angeles Times, 18 July 2023
While other metals such as nickel, thallium and lead were more likely to exceed those EPA markers in poorer, less-white communities like Rose Park, arsenic was more concentrated in samples from wealthy communities, possibly because of its past use as a fertilizer on agricultural lands.
—Evan Bush, NBC News, 7 Dec. 2022
Check out thallium and tungsten.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 24 Sep. 2011
See all Example Sentences for thallium
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Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Greek thallos green shoot; from the bright green line in its spectrum
First Known Use
1861, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near thallium
Cite this Entry
“Thallium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thallium. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
thallium
noun
thal·li·um
ˈthal-ē-əm
: a soft poisonous metallic element that has characteristics similar to lead see element
Medical Definition
thallium
noun
thal·li·um
ˈthal-ē-əm
: a sparsely but widely distributed poisonous metallic element that resembles lead in physical properties and is used chiefly in the form of compounds in photoelectric cells or as a pesticide
—symbol Tl
see Chemical Elements Table
More from Merriam-Webster on thallium
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about thallium
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