fluorine
noun
fluo·rine ˈflu̇r-ˌēn 
ˈflȯr-
: a nonmetallic gaseous chemical element of the halogen group with atomic number 9 that readily forms compounds with almost all other elements including some noble gases see Chemical Elements Table
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The traditional difficulty in destroying a PFAS compound lies in its many carbon-fluorine bonds, which organic chemists know as the strongest bonds. 
Manasee Wagh, Popular Mechanics, 22 Aug. 2022 The idea behind the fluorine was to avoid a situation that occurred with related electrolytes, where the sodium ended up interacting with oxygens in the polymer and therefore getting stuck in it instead of moving through. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 6 July 2022 For the block copolymer, the second block was a hydrocarbon with most of the hydrogens swapped out for fluorine atoms. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 6 July 2022 Initial tests showed that 54 of those products had measurable levels of total fluorine, indicating the presence of PFAS. Kathryn Rodgers, The Conversation, 4 May 2022 Combinations of carbon and fluorine molecules littered the soil and water, where they were absorbed by fish and, quite possibly, the people who live there. Kyle Bagenstose, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2022 In the 1970s, scientists began noticing that chlorine- and fluorine-containing chemicals in consumer products and refrigerants were eroding the ozone layer, leading to an uptick in solar radiation reaching the Earth’s surface. Nidhi Subbaraman, WSJ, 17 Mar. 2022 Other molecules cannot break between the carbon-fluorine bond, and instead slide off of surfaces treated with PFAS. Kyle Bagenstose, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2022 Heat is the key factor in breaking the carbon-fluorine bonds characteristic of this class of substances. Lars Fischer, Scientific American, 31 Jan. 2022 See More
Manasee Wagh, Popular Mechanics, 22 Aug. 2022 The idea behind the fluorine was to avoid a situation that occurred with related electrolytes, where the sodium ended up interacting with oxygens in the polymer and therefore getting stuck in it instead of moving through. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 6 July 2022 For the block copolymer, the second block was a hydrocarbon with most of the hydrogens swapped out for fluorine atoms. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 6 July 2022 Initial tests showed that 54 of those products had measurable levels of total fluorine, indicating the presence of PFAS. Kathryn Rodgers, The Conversation, 4 May 2022 Combinations of carbon and fluorine molecules littered the soil and water, where they were absorbed by fish and, quite possibly, the people who live there. Kyle Bagenstose, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2022 In the 1970s, scientists began noticing that chlorine- and fluorine-containing chemicals in consumer products and refrigerants were eroding the ozone layer, leading to an uptick in solar radiation reaching the Earth’s surface. Nidhi Subbaraman, WSJ, 17 Mar. 2022 Other molecules cannot break between the carbon-fluorine bond, and instead slide off of surfaces treated with PFAS. Kyle Bagenstose, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2022 Heat is the key factor in breaking the carbon-fluorine bonds characteristic of this class of substances. Lars Fischer, Scientific American, 31 Jan. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
French, from New Latin fluor
First Known Use
1813, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
fluorine
noun
fluo·rine ˈflu̇r-ˌēn
ˈflȯr-
: a yellowish flammable irritating gaseous chemical element
Medical Definition
fluorine
noun
fluo·rine ˈflu̇(-ə)r-ˌēn -ən
-ən : a nonmetallic monovalent halogen element that is normally a pale yellowish flammable irritating toxic gas —symbol F see Chemical Elements Table