thorium

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

thorium
    n 1: a soft silvery-white tetravalent radioactive metallic
         element; isotope 232 is used as a power source in nuclear
         reactors; occurs in thorite and in monazite sands [syn:
         {thorium}, {Th}, {atomic number 90}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Thorium \Tho"ri*um\, n. [NL. See {Thorite}.] (Chem.)
   A metallic element found in certain rare minerals, as
   thorite, pyrochlore, monazite, etc., and isolated as an
   infusible gray metallic powder which burns in the air and
   forms thoria; -- formerly called also {thorinum}. Symbol Th.
   Atomic weight 232.0.
   [1913 Webster]

from The Elements (07Nov00)

thorium
Symbol: Th
Atomic number: 90
Atomic weight: 232.038
Grey radioactive metallic element. Belongs to actinoids. Found in
monazite sand
in Brazil, India and the US.  Thorium-232 has a half-life of 1.39x10^10
years.
Can be used as a nuclear fuel for breeder reactors. Thorium-232 captures
slow
{neutron}s and breeds uranium-233. Discovered by Jons J. Berzelius in
1829.

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