buckyball

[buhk-ee-bawl]

noun

1. Informal.,  a single molecule of buckminsterfullerene.

buckyball

/ ˈbʌkɪˌbɔːl /

noun

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

buckyball

1. See buckminsterfullerene

Word History and Origins

Origin of buckyball¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of buckyball¹

C20: from _buck ( _{minsterfullerene} ) + _y ² + _ball ¹

Example Sentences

It turned out that the Exxon experiments had also created small numbers of buckyballs, but those researchers had overlooked them in their data.

Read more on New York Times

The strength and stability of buckyballs — in 60-atom form and bigger — has offered dozens of possible uses because of their shape and electron-bonding properties.

Read more on Washington Post

He recalls that in the mid-1980s, when scientists first created “buckyball” spheres made of 60 carbon atoms, “there was the same degree of skepticism, despite all the evidence.”

Read more on Science Magazine

With three bonds, it transforms into sheetlike graphite or graphene, 3D nanotubes, or even soccer ball–shaped buckyballs.

Read more on Science Magazine

Historically, materials that revolutionized technology, including tungsten light-bulb filaments, penicillin, Teflon and C60 buckyballs, were found through a combination of intuition, trial and error and lucky mishaps.

Read more on Nature