boron

[ bawr-on, bohr- ]

/ ˈbɔr ɒn, ˈboʊr- /

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noun Chemistry.

a nonmetallic element occurring naturally only in combination, as in borax or boric acid, and obtained in either an amorphous or a crystalline form when reduced from its compounds. Symbol: B; atomic weight: 10.811; atomic number: 5.

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Origin of boron

1805–15; bor(ax¹) + (carb)on

OTHER WORDS FROM boron

bo·ron·ic

[boh-ron-ik, baw-, buh-], /boʊˈrɒn ɪk, bɔ-, bə-/, adjective

Words nearby boron

boro-, Borodin, Borodino, boroglyceride, borohydride, boron, boron carbide, boron hydride, boronia, boron neutron capture therapy, boron nitride

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use boron in a sentence

Usually, diamonds contain a higher amount of nitrogen than boron, because nitrogen is more abundant in the environment and boron doesn’t typically exist deep in the Earth where the minerals form.
This rare blue diamond is practically a miracle of nature|Elana Spivack|November 15, 2021|Popular-Science
The ocean contains boron, which gets recycled into the bedrock and Earth’s mantle through a process called subduction.
This rare blue diamond is practically a miracle of nature|Elana Spivack|November 15, 2021|Popular-Science
Normally, chemists would expect the boron to form bonds with the hydrogen, rather than simply acting to pen in the hydrogen cage.
Can room-temperature superconductors work without extreme pressure?|Emily Conover|March 19, 2021|Science News
In the new compound, boron atoms fill some additional empty space around the cage.
Can room-temperature superconductors work without extreme pressure?|Emily Conover|March 19, 2021|Science News

New York-based glass company Corning won a $204 million government grant in June specifically so it could increase production of its sturdy glass, which is made without boron.
Why You May Not Be Able to Get Pfizer's Frontrunner COVID-19 Vaccine|Jamie Ducharme|November 13, 2020|Time
His results indicated that fruits are relatively rich in boron.
Inorganic Plant Poisons and Stimulants|Winifred E. Brenchley
Tobacco is so rich in boron that it can be detected in the ash of one cigarette.
Inorganic Plant Poisons and Stimulants|Winifred E. Brenchley
Before the introduction of Gooch's process it was usual to determine the boron trioxide "by difference."
A Textbook of Assaying: For the Use of Those Connected with Mines.|Cornelius Beringer and John Jacob Beringer
Consequently, the increase in weight, after ignition, upon that of the lime taken gives the amount of boron trioxide present.
A Textbook of Assaying: For the Use of Those Connected with Mines.|Cornelius Beringer and John Jacob Beringer
There is only one series of boron compounds which have any importance.
A Textbook of Assaying: For the Use of Those Connected with Mines.|Cornelius Beringer and John Jacob Beringer

British Dictionary definitions for boron

boron

/ (ˈbɔːrɒn) /

noun

a very hard almost colourless crystalline metalloid element that in impure form exists as a brown amorphous powder. It occurs principally in borax and is used in hardening steel. The naturally occurring isotope boron-10 is used in nuclear control rods and neutron detection instruments. Symbol: B; atomic no: 5; atomic wt: 10.81; valency: 3; relative density: 2.34 (crystalline), 2.37 (amorphous); melting pt: 2092°C; boiling pt: 4002°C

Word Origin for boron

C19: from bor (ax) + (carb) on

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

Medical definitions for boron

boron

[ bôr′ŏn′ ]

n. Symbol B

A soft, nonmetallic element found in compounds that are used in treating cancer and as astringents and antiseptics. Atomic number 5.

Scientific definitions for boron

boron

[ bôr′ŏn′ ]

A shiny, brittle, black metalloid element extracted chiefly from borax. It is a good electrical conductor at high temperatures and a poor conductor at low temperatures. Boron is necessary for the growth of land plants and is used in the preparation of soaps, abrasives, and hard alloys. It is also used in the control rods of nuclear reactors as a neutron absorber. Atomic number 5; atomic weight 10.811; melting point 2,300°C; sublimation point 2,550°C; specific gravity (crystal) 2.34; valence 3. See Periodic Table.