RADON

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does radon mean? 

• RADON (noun)
  The noun RADON has 1 sense:

1. a radioactive gaseous element formed by the disintegration of radium; the heaviest of the inert gasses; occurs naturally (especially in areas over granite) and is considered a hazard to health

  Familiarity information: RADON used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• RADON (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A radioactive gaseous element formed by the disintegration of radium; the heaviest of the inert gasses; occurs naturally (especially in areas over granite) and is considered a hazard to health

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

atomic number 86; radon; Rn

Hypernyms ("radon" is a kind of...):

chemical element; element (any of the more than 100 known substances (of which 92 occur naturally) that cannot be separated into simpler substances and that singly or in combination constitute all matter)

argonon; inert gas; noble gas (any of the chemically inert gaseous elements of the helium group in the periodic table)

 Context examples 

Some environmental risks are a part of the natural world, like radon in the soil.

(Environmental Health, NIH: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)

Lung disorders may be caused by infection, by smoking tobacco, or by breathing in secondhand tobacco smoke, radon, asbestos, or other forms of air pollution.

(Lung disorder, NCI Dictionary)

Sources of indoor pollution include: • Mold and pollen • Tobacco smoke • Household products and pesticides • Gases such as radon and carbon monoxide • Materials used in the building such as asbestos, formaldehyde and lead

(Indoor Air Pollution, Environmental Protection Agency)