barium
/ˈbɛəɹɪəm/ · ba·ri·um
noun
- The chemical element with symbol Ba and atomic number 56, a soft, reactive, silvery alkaline earth metal. Barium was first isolated by William Hyde Wollaston in 1808.
- A single atom of the element barium. The spectrometer detected a single barium atom in the sample.
- A suspension of barium sulfate used as a radiographic contrast agent. The patient swallowed a barium sulfate suspension before the abdominal X‑ray.
Synonyms
Did you know? Barium was discovered by William Hyde Wollaston in 1808 and is famously used in barium sulfate solutions to outline the gastrointestinal tract during X‑ray imaging.