cesium
noun
ce·si·um ˈsē-zē-əm 
also -zhē-
: a metallic chemical element that is the most electropositive element known and that is used in photoelectric cells, in atomic clocks, and as a component of drilling fluid see Chemical Elements Table
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web It's often used to treat heavy-metal poisoning from thallium or radioactive cesium because its lattice-like network structure—similar to a jungle gym—can trap metal ions from those metals and prevent them from being absorbed by the body. 
Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 20 June 2022 To fix this issue, the researchers sacrificed a bit of efficiency, choosing cesium lead iodide (CsPbI3) as their photovoltaic material. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 17 June 2022 Well, these smaller nuclei come in the form of elements like cesium, strontium, iodide, and plutonium—all which have varying abilities to live in the environment (whether preferring air, water, or soil), and decay at different rates. Miriam Fauzia, Popular Mechanics, 17 Aug. 2022 Prussian blue helped remove cesium from the soil around the Fukushima power plant after the 2011 tsunami. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 20 June 2022 After the 2011 tsunami caused a nuclear accident at the Fukushima power plant, Prussian Blue was one of the tools used to clean up radioactive cesium from the soil in the surrounding area. Eva Amsen, Forbes, 17 June 2022 The waves are fast, moving at rhythms, or frequencies, some 100,000 times that of the microwave energy that excites cesium. New York Times, 25 Apr. 2022 The gamma rays emitted by cesium and cobalt can kill germs multiplying in your meat and make your apples last longer. Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2022 This enables optical atomic clocks to measure time far more precisely than cesium clocks. New York Times, 25 Apr. 2022 See More
Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 20 June 2022 To fix this issue, the researchers sacrificed a bit of efficiency, choosing cesium lead iodide (CsPbI3) as their photovoltaic material. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 17 June 2022 Well, these smaller nuclei come in the form of elements like cesium, strontium, iodide, and plutonium—all which have varying abilities to live in the environment (whether preferring air, water, or soil), and decay at different rates. Miriam Fauzia, Popular Mechanics, 17 Aug. 2022 Prussian blue helped remove cesium from the soil around the Fukushima power plant after the 2011 tsunami. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 20 June 2022 After the 2011 tsunami caused a nuclear accident at the Fukushima power plant, Prussian Blue was one of the tools used to clean up radioactive cesium from the soil in the surrounding area. Eva Amsen, Forbes, 17 June 2022 The waves are fast, moving at rhythms, or frequencies, some 100,000 times that of the microwave energy that excites cesium. New York Times, 25 Apr. 2022 The gamma rays emitted by cesium and cobalt can kill germs multiplying in your meat and make your apples last longer. Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 11 Mar. 2022 This enables optical atomic clocks to measure time far more precisely than cesium clocks. New York Times, 25 Apr. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Latin caesius bluish gray
First Known Use
1861, in the meaning defined above
Medical Definition
cesium
noun
ce·si·um
variants or chiefly British caesium
ˈsē-zē-əm
: a silver-white soft ductile element of the alkali metal group that is the most electropositive element known and that is used especially in photoelectric cells —symbol Cs see Chemical Elements Table