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Selenium

noun

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A nonmetallic chemical element (symbol Se) with an atomic number of 34, used mainly in glassmaking and pigments and as a semiconductor. uncountable, usually

    "Pluck almost any cell from your body and it will have a million or more selenium atoms in it."

  2. 2
    a toxic nonmetallic element related to sulfur and tellurium; occurs in several allotropic forms; a stable grey metallike allotrope conducts electricity better in the light than in the dark and is used in photocells; occurs in sulfide ores (as pyrite) wordnet
  3. 3
    A single atom of this element. uncountable, usually

Etymology

From French sélénium, the name coined by Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius in 1818 from Ancient Greek σελήνη (selḗnē, “moon”) in reference to original confusion with the similar element tellurium.

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