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DictionaryRoot: Curie
French

Curie

surname of physicist Pierre Curie

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A tiny silvery curium sample sits behind protective laboratory glass with essential functional Cm and96 identifiers and a radiation pictogram; no glowing fantasy material or handling instructions.
noun

curium

KYOOR-ee-um/ˈkjʊriəm/

A synthetic radioactive chemical element with atomic number 96.

Etymology
curFrenchPierre and Marie Curie
+iumLatinan ending used to name elements and substances

The Curie name, paired with a metallic-element ending, honors Pierre and Marie Curie, who discovered radium. The name thus commemorates researchers associated with radioactivity.

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