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• periodic table
  periodic table

  noun

  a table illustrating the periodic system, in which the chemical elements, formerly arranged in the order of their atomic weights and now according to their atomic numbers, are shown in related groups.
• Periodic Table
  Periodic Table

  A table in which the chemical elements are arranged in order of increasing atomic number. Elements with similar properties are arranged in the same column (called a group), and elements with the same number of electron shells are arranged in the same row (called a period).

periodic table

American  

[peer-ee-od-ik, peer-] / ˈpɪər iˈɒd ɪk, ˌpɪər- /

noun

Chemistry.

periodic tables plural

1. a table illustrating the periodic system, in which the chemical elements, formerly arranged in the order of their atomic weights and now according to their atomic numbers, are shown in related groups.

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periodic table British  

/ ˌpɪərɪˈɒdɪk /

noun

1. a table of the elements, arranged in order of increasing atomic number, based on the periodic law. Elements having similar chemical properties and electronic structures appear in vertical columns (groups)

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Periodic Table Scientific  

1. A table in which the chemical elements are arranged in order of increasing atomic number. Elements with similar properties are arranged in the same column (called a group), and elements with the same number of electron shells are arranged in the same row (called a period).

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• periodic tables
  plural

Etymology

Origin of periodic table

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

periodic table Periodic Table

In 1871, Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev created the first periodic table by arranging elements according to increasing atomic numbers and intentionally left empty spaces for elements he believed had yet to be found.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026

The periodic table supposedly came to Dmitri Mendeleev in a dream.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026

Every character has an adorable quirk or two, or at minimum owns a dorky T-shirt with a periodic table joke or a cartoon cat.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 18, 2026

These include scandium, yttrium and the lanthanides, which account for 15 chemical elements in the periodic table.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2025

He even said something about a periodic table, or some crazy thing.

From "Because of Mr. Terupt" by Rob Buyea

Science: Carbon is atomic number 6 on the Periodic Table of Elements.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2025

The research group started their work to create a Periodic Table for shapes several years ago.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 25, 2023

Segar also cites Rockefeller’s Periodic Table of Food, an effort to create a database that breaks down food composition.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 4, 2022

"This is the International Year of the Periodic Table," she said.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2019

Molecules do not interest her, she doesn’t seem able to grasp the Periodic Table.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood