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thorium
noun
tho·ri·um
ˈthȯr-ē-əm
: a radioactive metallic element that is obtained especially from monazite and is usually associated with rare earths see Chemical Elements Table
Examples of thorium in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But first, researchers needed to pinpoint the exact amount of energy capable of exciting the thorium nucleus.
—Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
But making all that possible will require cutting down the uncertainty of thorium’s transition by at least another tenfold.
—Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
The team trained the laser comb onto thorium atoms embedded in calcium fluoride grains and scanned for the telltale frequency.
—Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
The thorium nuclear state’s energy is far more sensitive to variations in the fundamental constants than that of any atomic state.
—Quanta Magazine, 4 Sep. 2024
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Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Old Norse Thōrr Thor
First Known Use
1832, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near thorium
Cite this Entry
“Thorium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thorium. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
thorium
noun
tho·ri·um
ˈthōr-ē-əm
ˈthȯr-
: a radioactive metallic element see element
Medical Definition
thorium
noun
tho·ri·um
ˈthōr-ē-əm, ˈthȯr-
: a radioactive metallic element that occurs combined in minerals and is usually associated with rare earths
—symbol Th
see Chemical Elements Table
More from Merriam-Webster on thorium
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about thorium
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