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Synonyms

halogen

American  
[hal-uh-juhn, -jen, hey-luh-] / ˈhæl ə dʒən, -ˌdʒɛn, ˈheɪ lə- /

noun

Chemistry.

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

halogen British  
/ ˈhæləˌdʒɛn, həˈlɒdʒɪnəs /

noun

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

"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
halogen Scientific  
/ hăl′ə-jən /

  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

  • halogenoid adjective
  • halogenous adjective

Etymology

Origin of halogen

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

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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.

"The resulting datasets are producing an improved understanding of the interactions between sea-spray aerosols, surface-coupled clouds, oil field emissions and multiphase halogen chemistry in the new Arctic."

From Science Daily • Dec. 29, 2025

The housing for halogen bulbs is not compatible with LED bulbs, and a retrofitted car will not pass its annual MOT check-up.

From BBC • Oct. 27, 2025

One already well-understood source of glare is drivers retrofitting their vehicles, replacing old halogen bulbs with LEDs.

From BBC • Oct. 27, 2025

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

From Science Daily • Oct. 23, 2025

As the broiling sun set, a different kind of American landscape lit up: The halogen floodlights from the truck stop could be seen for miles.

From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.