tritium

[ trit-ee-uh m, trish-, trish-uh m ]
/ ˈtrɪt i əm, ˈtrɪʃ-, ˈtrɪʃ əm /

noun Chemistry.

an isotope of hydrogen having an atomic weight of three.

Origin of tritium

1930–35; < New Latin < Greek trít(os) third ( tri- tri- + -tos adj. suffix) + New Latin -ium -ium

Words nearby tritium

tritheism, trithing, tritiate, triticale, triticum, tritium, tritoma, triton, triton tumor, tritone, tritonia

Example sentences from the Web for tritium

  • Wanted to trade all the tritium we'd need to blow up a planet just for trees; because they worshipped trees!

    The Women-Stealers of Thrayx |Fox B. Holden

British Dictionary definitions for tritium

tritium
/ (ˈtrɪtɪəm) /

noun

a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, occurring in trace amounts in natural hydrogen and produced in a nuclear reactor. Tritiated compounds are used as tracers. Symbol: T or ³H; half-life: 12.5 years

Word Origin for tritium

C20: New Latin, from Greek tritos third

Medical definitions for tritium

tritium
[ trĭt′ē-əm, trĭsh′ē- ]

n. Symbol T

A rare radioactive hydrogen isotope with atomic mass 3 and half-life 12.5 years, prepared artificially for use as a tracer and as a constituent of hydrogen bombs. hydrogen-3

Scientific definitions for tritium

tritium
[ trĭt′ē-əm, trĭsh′ē-əm ]

A radioactive isotope of hydrogen whose nucleus has one proton and two neutrons with atomic mass of about 3 and a half life of 12.5 years. Tritium is rare in nature but can be made artificially in nuclear reactions. It is used in thermonuclear weapons and luminescent paints, and sometimes as a tracer. See more at hydrogen.