hassium

[ has-ee-uh m ]

/ ˈhæs i əm /

noun Chemistry, Physics.

a superheavy, synthetic, radioactive element with a very short half-life. Symbol: Hs; atomic number: 108.

Nearby words

hasselt, hassenpfeffer, hassid, hassidic, hassidim, hassium, hassle, hassock, hast, hasta la vista, hasta luego

Origin of hassium

after Medieval Latin Hassia (the German state of Hesse, location of the institute where it was first created); see -ium

Formerly unniloctium, element 108.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for hassium

hassium

/ (ˈhæsɪəm) /

noun

a synthetic element produced in small quantities by high-energy ion bombardment. Symbol: Hs; atomic no: 108

Word Origin for hassium

C20: from Latin, from Hesse, German state where it was discovered

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

Science definitions for hassium

hassium

[ hä′sē-əm ]

Hs

A synthetic, radioactive element that is produced by bombarding lead with iron ions. Its known isotopes have mass numbers ranging from 263 to 277. Hs 277 has the longest confirmed half-life (16.5 minutes). Atomic number 108. See Periodic Table.