argon
NounUS[ahr-gon]/ˈɑrˌɡɑn/2 syllables
Open English WordNet
Noun (1)
- a colorless and odorless inert gas; one of the six inert gases; comprises approximately 1% of the earth's atmosphereSynonyms: Aratomic number 18Type of noble gas, inert gasSubstance of air
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Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Ar′gon noun
Origin: NL., fr. Gr. …, neut. of … inactive; … priv. + … work.
Chemistry A colorless, odorless gas occurring in the air (of which it constitutes 0.93 per cent by volume), in volcanic gases, etc.; — so named on account of its inertness by Rayleigh and Ramsay, who prepared and examined it in 1894-95. Symbol, A; at. wt., 39.9. Argon is condensible to a colorless liquid boiling at -186.1° C. and to a solid melting at -189.6° C. It has a characteristic spectrum. No compounds of it are known, but there is physical evidence that its molecule is monatomic. Weight of one liter at 0° C. and 760 mm., 1.7828 g.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54 · with additions: 1913 supplement