Helium
/ˈhiː.li.əm/noun
A colorless, odorless, very light noble gas used in balloons, cryogenics, and scientific applications.
Did you know?Helium was first identified in the Sun’s spectrum in 1868, making it one of the rare elements discovered in space before it was found on Earth.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
hḗlios (ἥλιος)
“the sun”
1868
French/English scientific Latin
hélium
“a hypothetical solar element detected in the Sun’s spectrum”
1895
English
helium
“the newly isolated element found on Earth in a uranium mineral”
Modern English
English
helium
“the noble gas element with atomic number 2”