halogen

[hal-uh-juhn, -jen, hey-luh-]

noun

Chemistry.

1. any of the electronegative elements, fluorine, chlorine, iodine, bromine, and astatine, that form binary salts by direct union with metals.

halogen

/ ˈhæləˌdʒɛn, həˈlɒdʒɪnəs /

noun

1. any of the chemical elements fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, and astatine. They are all monovalent and readily form negative ions

halogen

1. Any of a group of five nonmetallic elements with similar properties. The halogens are fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine, and astatine. Because they are missing an electron from their outermost shell, they react readily with most metals to form salts.

2. See Periodic Table

Other Word Forms

• halogenous adjective
• halogenoid adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of halogen¹

First recorded in 1835–45; halo- + -gen

Word History and Origins

Origin of halogen¹

C19: from Swedish; see _halo- , _-gen

Example Sentences

The beam is whiter, more focused and brighter than the more diffuse light from halogen lamps fitted in older cars.

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When illuminated by the microscope's halogen lamp and analyzed through a spectrometer, the light separates into different wavelengths.

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A team from France and Germany has now studied the rapid decay of molecules containing halogens.

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Researchers uncover how the halogen bond can be exploited to direct sequential dynamics in the multi-functional crystals, offering crucial insights for developing ultrafast-response times for multilevel optical storage.

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But suppose you discard — or give away — your halogen and incandescent bulbs.

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Related Words

• bleach 
• disinfectant