noun
barium
BEH-uh-reerm
noun
1
A soft, silvery-white metallic chemical element (symbol Ba, atomic number 56).
"Barium compounds burn with a distinctive green flame, which is why they're used in fireworks."
2
Short for barium sulphate suspension, a liquid swallowed before certain X-rays to make the digestive tract visible.
"She had to drink barium before her stomach scan."
How to Use Barium
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA metallic element, most familiar from fireworks (green flames) and hospital "barium" scans.
Common pairings
barium meal
barium swallow
barium sulphate
Word Forms
bariums plural
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_____ compounds burn with a distinctive green flame, which is why they're used in fireworks.
Etymology
Coined in 1808 by the chemist Humphry Davy, from "baryta" (an older name for barium oxide) plus the chemical suffix "-ium."