Radium
/ˈreɪ.di.əm/noun
A highly radioactive metallic chemical element of the alkaline earth metals.
Did you know?Radium was named from Latin radius, “ray” or “beam,” because Marie and Pierre Curie discovered that it emitted mysterious rays long before anyone knew what radioactivity really was.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Latin
Latin
radius
“A ray, beam, or spoke; later also a measuring rod or staff.”
Late 19th Century
French
radium
“A newly discovered radioactive element named for its ray-like emissions.”
1898
French
radium
“Marie and Pierre Curie coin and use the name for the intensely radioactive element they isolated from pitchblende.”
1900s
English
radium
“The element’s name enters English scientific usage.”
Modern English
English
radium
“The chemical element Ra, used historically in luminous paints and radiation research.”