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beryllium
noun
be·ryl·li·um
bə-ˈri-lē-əm
: a chemical element of the alkaline earth metal group with atomic number 4 that occurs naturally in minerals such as beryl and is steel-gray in color, light and strong but brittle, and is used chiefly as a hardening agent in alloys see Chemical Elements Table
Examples of beryllium in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
And metal, specifically beryllium, is the material for the walls of ITER.
—
Jacek Krywko, Ars Technica, 3 May 2024
These use either fluoride or chloride salts, often mixed with lithium or beryllium.
—
Allison MacFarlane, Foreign Affairs, 8 July 2021
Turning the rods with the beryllium side in sustains the fission reaction.
—
Amy Shira Teitel, Discover Magazine, 28 Mar. 2019
The early universe was made of something like 75% hydrogen, 25% helium, and traces of lithium and beryllium (that is, elements one through four, for those of you looking at a table of the elements).
—
Korey Haynes, Discover Magazine, 22 Oct. 2018
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beryllium.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Greek bēryllion
First Known Use
circa 1847, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near beryllium
Cite this Entry
“Beryllium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beryllium. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Kids Definition
beryllium
noun
be·ryl·li·um
bə-ˈril-ē-əm
: a steel-gray light strong brittle toxic metallic element used chiefly to help harden alloys see element
Medical Definition
beryllium
noun
be·ryl·li·um
bə-ˈril-ē-əm
: a steel-gray light strong brittle toxic bivalent metallic element used chiefly as a hardening agent in alloys
—symbol Be
see Chemical Elements Table
More from Merriam-Webster on beryllium
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about beryllium
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