barium sulfate

American

noun

Chemistry.

a white, crystalline, water-insoluble powder, BaSO 4 , used chiefly in the synthesis of pigments, as in paints and printing inks, and, because of its radiopacity, for x-ray diagnosis in medicine.

barium sulfate Scientific

A fine white powder used in making textiles, rubber, and plastic. It is also used in diagnostic imaging of the digestive tract. Barium sulfate occurs in nature as the mineral barite. Chemical formula: BaSO ₄ .

Etymology

Origin of barium sulfate

First recorded in 1870–75

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.

In 1973, the uranium processor Cotter Corp. took hazardous leached barium sulfate from Latty Avenue to the West Lake Landfill, also in Bridgeton.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 12, 2023

The paint is based on two key features: the concentration and size of the barium sulfate compound.

From Washington Times • Jan. 2, 2022

Since the Ksp of barium sulfate is 2.3 10–8, very little of it dissolves as it coats the lining of the patient’s intestinal tract.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

The company has halted shipments of barium sulfate waste since the more recent spill in March, 2016.

From Seattle Times • May 4, 2017

When Eclipse of the Earth by Kazuo Katase was installed last month, the work's dusty red coloring agent contained zinc sulfide and barium sulfate.

From Time Magazine Archive

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