curium

American  

[kyoor-ee-uhm] / ˈkyʊər i əm /

noun

1. a radioactive element not found in nature but discovered in 1944 among the products of plutonium after bombardment by high-energy helium ions. Cm; 96.

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curium British  

/ ˈkjʊərɪəm /

noun

1. a silvery-white metallic transuranic element artificially produced from plutonium. Symbol: Cm; atomic no: 96; half-life of most stable isotope, ²⁴⁷ Cm: 1.6 x 10 ⁷ years; valency: 3 and 4; relative density: 13.51 (calculated); melting pt: 1345±400°C

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curium Scientific  

/ kyr′ē-əm /

1. A synthetic, silvery-white, radioactive metallic element of the actinide series that is produced artificially from plutonium or americium. Curium isotopes are used to provide electricity for satellites and space probes. Its most stable isotope has a half-life of 16.4 million years. Atomic number 96; melting point (estimated) 1,350°C; valence 3.

2. See Periodic Table

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Etymology

Origin of curium

1946; < New Latin; named after M. and P. Curie; see -ium

Example Sentences

Per curium opinions reflect what is at least the majority view without an extensive, and thus time-consuming, underlying legal analysis, while allowing similarly minimalist dissents or concurring opinions to be filed.

From Slate • Dec. 8, 2023

Two of nuclear waste’s most problematic ingredients are metals called americium and curium; each has particularly long-lived forms that decay slowly over thousands of years.

From Scientific American • Dec. 28, 2021

"Multinucleon transfer reactions" would involve firing, say, uranium onto curium at relatively low speeds—another "soft touching."

From Science Magazine • Jan. 30, 2019

Many are named after great scientists: einsteinium, curium, fermium, mendelevium, bohrium and rutherfordium.

From BBC • Sep. 19, 2014

About 1 percent is other heavy elements such as curium, americium and plutonium-239.

From Washington Times • May 26, 2014