Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A soft, malleable, highly toxic metallic element, used in photocells, infrared detectors, low-melting glass, and formerly in rodent and ant poisons. A radioactive isotope, Tl-201, is used in medical imaging. Atomic number 81; atomic weight 204.38; melting point 304°C; boiling point 1,473°C; specific gravity 11.85 (20°C); valence 1, 3. cross-reference: Periodic Table.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun Chemical symbol, Tl; atomic weight, 204.2. A rare metal which was discovered in the residuum left from the distillation of selenium by Crookes, in 1861, and was first supposed to contain tellurium, but afterward proved, by the aid of the spectroscope, to be new.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Chem.) A rare metallic element of the aluminium group found in some minerals, as certain pyrites, and also in the lead-chamber deposit in the manufacture of sulphuric acid. It is isolated as a heavy, soft, bluish white metal, easily oxidized in moist air, but preserved by keeping under water. Symbol Tl. Atomic weight 203.7.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A metallic chemical element (symbol Tl) with
atomic number 81.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a soft grey malleable metallic element that resembles tin but discolors on exposure to air; it is highly toxic and is used in rodent and insect poisons; occurs in zinc blende and some iron ores
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The name thallium comes from the Greek word thallios which means a green twig, which is a reference to this green line.
Thallium 2008
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JOHN HENRY, CLINICAL TOXICOLOGIST: You could call thallium poisoning chemical torture.
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JOHN HENRY, CLINICAL TOXICOLOGIST: You could call thallium poisoning chemical torture.
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JOHN HENRY, CLINICAL TOXICOLOGIST: You could call thallium poisoning chemical torture.
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Her son, Sipho, was poisoned with a rare substance called thallium, while in detention with a friend, Topsy
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Doctors at Groote Schuur hospital discovered he had been poisoned with a rare substance known as thallium, which left him seriously ill and confined to a wheelchair.
4. The National Party, Apartheid and the Anatomy of Repression in South Africa, 1948-1994 1994
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Doctors at Groote Schuur hospital discovered he had been poisoned with a rare substance known as thallium, which left him seriously ill and confined to a wheelchair.
African National Congress Statement to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission 1960
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Separated U-233 is always contaminated with traces of 232U (69 year half life but whose daughter products such as thallium-208 are strong gamma emitters with very short half lives);
Thorium 2009
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Unfortunately the addition of lead or other heavy metals (such as thallium) makes the product very soft and also very subject to attack by gases such as are always present in the atmosphere of cities.
A Text-Book of Precious Stones for Jewelers and the Gem-Loving Public Frank Bertram Wade
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So thus we launched a broad based educational effort to highlight opportunities for providing imaging solutions to patients using alternatives, such as thallium where appropriate.
Healthcare Sector and Stocks Analysis from Seeking Alpha 2010
oroboros commented on the word thallium
Tl
December 1, 2007
vendingmachine commented on the word thallium
The toxic properties of thallium compounds were recognized soon after the discovery of the element in the 19th century. Thallium compounds in toxic doses cause lack of coordination, trembling, hair loss, and finally respiratory distress, which results in death by asphyxia.
February 27, 2015