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tritium

Pronunciation: /ˈtrɪtɪəm/
Definition of tritium

noun

[mass noun] Chemistry
  • a radioactive isotope of hydrogen with a mass approximately three times that of the usual isotope. (Symbol: T)

Discovered in 1934, tritium has two neutrons as well as a proton in the nucleus. It occurs in minute traces in nature and can be made artificially from lithium or deuterium in nuclear reactors; it is used as a fuel in thermonuclear bombs

Origin:

1930s: from modern Latin, from Greek tritos 'third'

tritium in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of tritium in the US English dictionary
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