buckyball

American

[buhk-ee-bawl] / ˈbʌk iˌbɔl /

noun

Informal. a single molecule of buckminsterfullerene.

buckyball British

/ ˈbʌkɪˌbɔːl /

noun

informal a ball-like polyhedral carbon molecule of the type found in buckminsterfullerene and other fullerenes

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

buckyball Scientific

/ bŭk′ē-bôl′ /

See buckminsterfullerene

Etymology

Origin of buckyball

1985-90; after R. Buckminster Fuller; see -y ², ball ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

buckyball

“You could argue it wasn’t any of our areas of interest,” James R. Heath, a graduate student of Dr. Smalley’s who performed many of the buckyball experiments, said in an interview.

From New York Times ● Jul. 20, 2022

While Dr. Kroto and Dr. Smalley pursued further buckyball research, Dr. Curl soon moved on to other areas of interest.

From New York Times ● Jul. 20, 2022

The buckyball discovery also was key in the development of nanotubes, essentially graphite rolled into atomic-level cylinders, used as super-efficient pathways for electricity and thermal exchange.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 6, 2022

The buckyball molecule has potential applications in drug delivery, computing and high-speed transportation.

From Seattle Times ● May 6, 2016

In essence, a buckyball forms a cage that begs to be filled.

From Time Magazine Archive

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023