Plutonium Meaning
/pluːˈtoʊniəm/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounThe transuranic chemical element with atomic number 94 and symbol Pu: a silvery-gray fissile radioactive actinide metal that tarnishes when exposed to air.
nounAlternative form of ploutonion.
Sentence Examples
Plutonium has a metallic taste.
Uranium and plutonium are radioactive.
Nuclear bombs are made from uranium or plutonium.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The nuclear power plant used ____ as fuel because it can sustain a chain reaction and produce energy.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The nuclear reactor used enriched ____ as fuel to generate electricity for the surrounding region.
Word Origin & History
After Pluto (dwarf planet) + -n- + -ium. More in Wikipedia at plutonium § History.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Plutonium? You mean this sucker's nuclear?"
— 1985, Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale, Back to the Future, spoken by Marty McFly:
"The Samson Option states that Moshe Dayan gave the go-ahead for starting weapon production in early 1968, putting the plutonium separation plant into full operation."
— 2009 June 7, Filipe, CNN, archived from the original on 01 Feb 2023:
"For 75 years, it has fulfilled a wide range of roles: producing weapons-grade plutonium for early atomic weapons in the aftermath of the Second World War; the world's first commercial nuclear power station supplying electricity to the National Grid; reprocessing and storage of nuclear fuel; and the processing of lower grades of radioactive waste for off-site storage."
— 2023 December 27, Ben Jones, “Inside Sellafield... by rail”, in RAIL, number 999, page 20:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The nuclear power plant used ____ as fuel because it can sustain a chain reaction and produce energy.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The nuclear reactor used enriched ____ as fuel to generate electricity for the surrounding region.