noun
polonium
puh-LOH-nee-um/pəˈləʊniəm/
A rare, highly radioactive metallic chemical element.
Polonium is a rare radioactive metal that requires careful handling.
Etymology
Polonia names Poland, Marie Curie’s native country. The element’s name honors that country rather than describing its radioactivity, using the conventional element-name ending -ium.
In context
They ground up tons of pitchblende and discovered an element that was 400 times more radioactive than uranium. Polonium. Named after her country of birth.
More examples
- Scientists use the symbol Po to represent polonium.
- Tiny amounts of polonium occur naturally in uranium ores.
- Exposure to polonium can cause severe radiation poisoning.