hassium

[ has-ee-uhm ]

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

Origin of hassium

1
First recorded in 1980–85; officially assigned to element 108 in 1997; named after Medieval Latin Hassia (the German state of Hesse, location of the institute where it was first created); see -ium

Words Nearby hassium

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British Dictionary definitions for hassium

hassium

/ (ˈhæsɪəm) /


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

Origin of hassium

1
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

Scientific definitions for hassium

hassium

[ sē-əm ]


Hs
  1. 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.

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