uranium

[yoo-rey-nee-uhm]

noun

Chemistry.

1. a white, lustrous, radioactive, metallic element, occurring in pitchblende, and having compounds that are used in photography and in coloring glass. The 235 isotope is used in atomic and hydrogen bombs and as a fuel in nuclear reactors. U; 238.03; 92; 19.07.

uranium

/ jʊˈreɪnɪəm /

noun

1. a radioactive silvery-white metallic element of the actinide series. It occurs in several minerals including pitchblende, carnotite, and autunite and is used chiefly as a source of nuclear energy by fission of the radioisotope uranium-235 . Symbol: U; atomic no: 92; atomic wt: 238.0289; half-life of most stable isotope, ²³⁸ U: 451 × 10 ⁹ years; valency: 2-6; relative density: 18.95 (approx.); melting pt: 1135°C; boiling pt: 4134°C

uranium

1. A heavy, silvery-white, highly toxic, radioactive metallic element of the actinide series. It has 14 known isotopes, of which U 238 is the most naturally abundant, occurring in several minerals. Fissionable isotopes, especially U 235, are used in nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons. Atomic number 92; atomic weight 238.03; melting point 1,132°C; boiling point 3,818°C; specific gravity 18.95; valence 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

2. See Periodic Table

uranium

1. A chemical element that is naturally radioactive. An isotope of uranium, uranium 235, is the main fuel for nuclear reactors and atomic bombs (see also atomic bomb). Its symbol is U. (See fission and chain reaction.)

Word History and Origins

Origin of uranium¹

From New Latin, dating back to 1790–1800; Uranus, -ium

Word History and Origins

Origin of uranium¹

C18: from New Latin, from _Uranus ²; from the fact that the element was discovered soon after the planet

Example Sentences

"This is the consensus -- and also being confirmed by the Iranian government -- that the stockpile of enriched uranium is still there, so we need to check on that," Grossi said on Wednesday.

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China and Russia dominate the current uranium enrichment supply chain, which creates bottlenecks and geopolitical risks.

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U.S. companies would conduct the enrichment process inside the kingdom, providing investment opportunities to American companies and ensuring the kingdom couldn’t enrich uranium to weapons grade, as Iran has done.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The Greenpeace environment group said Sunday that France was sending reprocessed uranium to Russia for treatment so it can be reused, despite the Kremlin's war in Ukraine.

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And so its ability to enrich or reprocess uranium is limited by the US as it is entirely dependent on imports.

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