inert gas
Americannoun
noun
-
Also called: noble gas, rare gas, argonon. any of the unreactive gaseous elements helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon
-
(loosely) any gas, such as carbon dioxide, that is nonoxidizing
Etymology
Origin of inert gas
First recorded in 1900–05
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.
Helium, an inert gas, is used to push propellants to the thrusters, and if too much helium is lost, the thrusters may not work properly.
From New York Times ● May 24, 2024
Edison’s first practical light bulb used a carbonized cotton thread for that purpose; modern bulbs use tungsten filaments in an inert gas.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 2, 2023
To get a superconductor, the researchers use a pressurized stream of inert gas to drive the diamonds together, generating a force amplified manyfold at their tips.
From Science Magazine ● Aug. 26, 2021
One option, Sefton-Nash says, would be to install specialized cabinets in which the sample would be protected from us, and us from them, by multiple layers of inert gas.
From Scientific American ● Feb. 6, 2020
“Look at me, and tell me that symbol of the first inert gas, helium.”
From "Okay for Now" by Gary D. Schmidt
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
