Definition of HELIUM

helium

Plural: heliums

Noun

  • A light, inert gaseous element used in balloons.
  • a very light colorless element that is one of the six inert gasses; the most difficult gas to liquefy; occurs in economically extractable amounts in certain natural gases (as those found in Texas and Kansas)
  • The second-lightest chemical element (symbol He), with an atomic number of 2 and atomic weight of 4.002602, a colorless, odorless and inert noble gas.
  • A form or sample of the element.

Examples

  • His ’IUM’ suffix felt like a burst of HELIUM, lifting his score significantly.

Origin / Etymology

From New Latin helium, from Ancient Greek ἥλιος (hḗlios, “sun”) (because its presence was first theorised in the Sun's atmosphere) with the suffix + -ium. Probably coined by Norman Lockyer. This suffix is unusual, because it is usually used only for metallic elements. It is likely that Lockyer, being an astronomer, was unaware of the usual chemical conventions.

Synonyms

atomic number 2, He, E939 when used as a packaging gas

Scrabble Score: 11

helium: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
helium: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
helium: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 13

helium: valid Words With Friends Word