heliumhe‧li‧um /ˈhiːliəm/ noun [uncountable] 
Word Origin
Word OriginWORD ORIGINhelium
ExamplesOrigin:
1800-1900 Greek helios ‘sun’; because it was discovered in the sun's spectrumEXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
word sets- But in addition there remained the puzzle of how the helium came to be in the springs.
- However, the story can be simplified without losing its essence by neglecting the helium for the time being.
- The job is made more difficult now because of self-sealing materials and the use of helium.
- The Kamikaze: One part liquid helium, two parts prussic acid.
- The two orbiting electrons of the helium atom form a shell.
- These solar gases contain a large amount of helium, the second most abundant element in the Sun.
- Typically, the fuels are isotopes of the three lightest elements, hydrogen, helium, and lithium.
- Uranium has two radioactive isotopes, each of which decays to an isotope of lead and helium.
WORD SETS► Chemistry
Collocationsacetate, nounacid, nounacidic, adjectiveacidify, verbactive, adjectiveadditive, nounagent, nounalchemy, nounalcohol, nounalkali, nounalkaline, adjectiveamalgam, nounantioxidant, noun-ate, suffixatomic number, nounbase, nounbauxite, nounbeaker, nounbenzene, nounbiochemistry, nounbitumen, nounbleach, nounbond, nounbonding, nouncalcify, verbcarbohydrate, nouncarbonate, nouncarbon dioxide, nouncarbonize, verbcatalyst, nouncaustic, adjectivechain reaction, nounchemical, nounchemical, adjectivechemical reaction, nounchemist, nounchemistry, nounchlorinate, verbcitric acid, nouncombustion, nounconcentration, nouncondense, verbcontaminant, nouncontaminate, verbcontaminated, adjectivecorrode, verbcorrosion, nouncorrosive, adjectivecrucible, nouncrystal, nouncrystallize, verbcyanide, nounDDT, noundecay, verbdecay, noundecompose, verbdegrade, verbderive, verbdetoxification, noundextrose, noundioxin, noundispersion, noundissolve, verbdistill, verbeffervesce, verbeffervescent, adjectiveelectrolysis, nounelectrolyte, nounelectroplate, verbemulsify, verbemulsion, nounenzyme, nounexpand, verbfatty acid, nounferment, verbferment, nounflashback, nounflask, nounformaldehyde, nounformula, nounfructose, nounfungicide, nounfuse, verbgas, noungaseous, adjectiveglucose, noungranular, adjectivegraphite, nounhallucinogen, nounhelium, nounherbicide, nounhydrate, nouninert, adjectiveinsoluble, adjectiveinsulin, nounion, nounionize, verblactic acid, nounlimescale, nounlitmus, nounlitmus paper, nounlitmus test, nounmethane, nounmixture, nounmolecule, nounneon, nounnerve gas, nounneutralize, verbneutron, nounnitric acid, nounnucleic acid, nounnucleus, nounnutrient, nounorganic chemistry, nounosmosis, nounoxidize, verboxyacetylene, nounoxygenate, verbozone, nounpart, nounpectin, nounpesticide, nounpestle, nounpetrochemical, nounpH, nounphotosynthesis, nounplasma, nounpolyunsaturated, adjectivepotash, nounprecipitate, verbprecipitate, nounprecipitation, nounproduct, nounprussic acid, nounquicklime, nounradioactive, adjectiveradioactivity, nounradiology, nounreact, verbreaction, nounreactive, adjectivereagent, nounresidue, nounretort, nounriboflavin, nounsalt, nounsaltpetre, nounsaturate, verbsaturated, adjectivesaturation, nounsaturation point, nounsemiconductor, nounsoft, adjectivesolid, nounsolution, nounsolvent, nounstability, nounstabilizer, nounstable, adjectivestarch, nounsteam, nounsucrose, nounsulphate, nounsulphide, nounsulphur, nounsulphur dioxide, nounsulphuric acid, nounsulphurous, adjectivesurface tension, nounsuspension, nounsynthesize, verbsynthetic, adjectivetannin, nountartaric acid, nounTNT, noununstable, adjectivevalence, nounvitamin, nounvolatile, adjectivevulcanize, verbwater softener, nounwater-soluble, adjectivewater vapour, nounwetting agent, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE► liquid
a gas that is lighter than air and is used to make balloons float. It is a chemical element: symbol He· Obviously there is a price to be paid in holding the liquid helium temperatures.· The Kamikaze: One part liquid helium, two parts prussic acid.· Supplies of liquid helium are an absolute necessity in many modern science laboratories.· These micro-refrigerators are commercially available, and avoid the explosion hazard of liquid hydrogen and the expense of liquid helium.
NOUN► balloon· Visual effects feature largely in this community arts venture, and have included helium balloons and fireworks.· People left the auditorium that morning trailing their doubts behind them like children dragging exhausted helium balloons.· I wish people would stop buying helium balloons and letting them go.· Breastfeeding does perky things to some women's statistics, but it left mine looking like two well-past-their-sell-by-date helium balloons.
VERB► make· And the recently discovered structure of atoms gave them the idea that they could make helium out of hydrogen.