astatine
pronunciation
How to pronounce astatine in British English:
UK [ˈæstəti:n]
How to pronounce astatine in American English:
US [ˈæstəˌtin, -tɪn]
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- Noun:
- a highly unstable radioactive element (the heaviest of the halogen series); a decay product of uranium and thorium
Word Origin
- astatine (n.)
- radioactive element, named 1947, from Greek astatos "unstable" (see astatic) + chemical suffix -ine (2). So called for its short half-life and lack of stable isotopes. "The element appears not to have a stable form and probably does not exist in nature" [Flood, "Origin of Chemical Names"].