A colorless, odorless inert gaseous element occurring in natural gas and with radioactive ores. It is used as a component of artificial atmospheres and laser media, as a refrigerant, as a lifting gas for balloons, and as a superfluid in cryogenic research. Atomic number 2; atomic weight 4.0026; boiling point -268.9°C; density at 0°C 0.1785 gram per liter. See Periodic Table.

[From Greek hēlios, sun (so called because its existence was deduced from the solar spectrum); see sāwel- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

(Elements & Compounds) a very light nonflammable colourless odourless element that is an inert gas, occurring in certain natural gases: used in balloons and in cryogenic research. Symbol: He; atomic no: 2; atomic wt: 4.002602; density: 0.1785 kg/m³; at normal pressures it is liquid down to absolute zero; melting pt: below –272.2°C; boiling pt: –268.90°C. See also alpha particle

[C19: New Latin, from helio- + -ium; named from its having first been detected in the solar spectrum]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

an inert, gaseous element present in the sun's atmosphere and in natural gas, used as a substitute for flammable gases in dirigibles. Symbol:He; at. wt.: 4.0026; at. no.: 2; density: 0.1785 g/l at 0°C and 760 mm pressure.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Symbol He A very lightweight, colorless, odorless element that is a noble gas and occurs in natural gas, in radioactive ores, and in small amounts in the atmosphere. It has the lowest boiling point of any substance and is the second most abundant element in the universe. Helium is used to provide lift for balloons and blimps and to create artificial air that will not chemically react. Atomic number 2. See Periodic Table.

Word History A lot of elements are named after the place they were first discovered—even if that place is 93 million miles away, as is the case with the element helium. In 1868 astronomers were studying a solar eclipse with a spectroscope, an instrument that breaks up light into a spectrum. When an element is heated hot enough to glow, the light emitted will produce a unique spectrum (pattern of lines) when refracted through a prism. The astronomers noticed that the spectrum of the sun's corona, which is only visible during an eclipse, contained some lines produced by an unknown element. The element was then named helium, from helios, the Greek word for 'sun.' We now know that helium is produced abundantly by the nuclear fusion in all stars, and is also found in smaller amounts on Earth. The Greek word helios gives us many other words pertaining to the sun, such as heliocentric and perihelion.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

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Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

an element, a very light gas which does not burn and which is used eg in balloons. helium هيليوم хелий hélio hélium das Helium helium ήλιοhelio heelium گازهليوم helium hélium הֶליוּם हीलियम, एक गैस helij hélium helium helíum elio ヘリウム 헬륨 helis hēlijs helium heliumheliumhel هېليوم ، د نجيبه غازاتو له جملى څخه يو ډول سپك غاز دش hélio heliu гелий hélium helij helijum helium ก๊าซเฉื่อยชนิดหนึ่งไม่มีสี ไม่มีกลิ่น มีสัญลักษณ์คือ He helyum 氦，氦氣 гелій ایک بے رنگ ہلکی گیس جو قدرتی معدنی گیس کے ساتھ ملی جلی ہوتی ہے khí hêli 氦

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

n. helio, elemento gaseoso inerte empleado en tratamientos respiratorios y en cámaras de descompresión para facilitar el aumento o disminución de la presión del aire.

English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.