xenon

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: xen=on

CIDE DICTIONARY

xenon, n. [Gr. xe`non, neut. of xe`nos strange.].

 A very heavy, inert gaseous element of the noble gas group, occurring in the atmosphere in the proportion of one volume is about 20 millions. It was discovered by Ramsay and Travers in 1898. It can be condensed to a liquid boiling at -107° C., and to a solid which melts at -111.9° C. Symbol Xe (formely also X); atomic number 54; atomic weight 131.3.  [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

xenon, n. Chem. a heavy colourless odourless inert gaseous element occurring in traces in the atmosphere and used in fluorescent lamps.

Usage

Symb.: Xe.

Etymology

Gk, neut. of xenos strange