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plutonium
This term carries a heavy association with danger, secrecy, and destructive power. It is rarely mentioned in casual conversation unless the topic involves nuclear energy or geopolitical tension, evoking images of lead-lined containers and high-security laboratories.
While other elements like gold or silver suggest wealth and beauty, plutonium suggests a cold, clinical, and invisible lethality. It functions as a linguistic shorthand for the atomic age and the existential risks associated with human technological advancement.
Used exclusively as a mass noun for the chemical element.
Meanings
Examples
Plutonium is a synthetic element that does not occur naturally in significant quantities.
The scientists are studying the decay rate of plutonium isotopes.
We need to ensure the plutonium is stored in a lead lined container.
The Manhattan Project focused on the production of plutonium for the first bombs.
Is that really plutonium in the core of the reactor?
Plutonium 239 is the most commonly used isotope for nuclear weapons.
The leak of plutonium into the groundwater caused a massive environmental crisis.
I wonder how they manage to refine plutonium without exposing themselves to radiation.
The treaty prohibits the stockpiling of plutonium for military purposes.