radioactive waste — Waste material that contains radioactive substances and poses potential harm to living organisms
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: Waste material that contains radioactive substances and poses potential harm to living organisms
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˌreɪdioʊˈæktɪv weɪst/
Example Sentences
- The superhero's origin story involved accidentally falling into radioactive waste, but thankfully he only gained superpowers instead of extra limbs.
- Countries are developing underground facilities to safely store radioactive waste for thousands of years.
- The scientist joked that his glowing coffee mug wasn't radioactive waste, just really strong espresso.
radioactive waste
NOUN[/ˌreɪdioʊˈæktɪv weɪst/]
Waste material that contains radioactive substances and poses potential harm to living organisms
Workers in hazmat suits carefully seal radioactive waste into thick steel drums.
Handle radioactive waste without haste, then safely enjoy lunch's taste!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Radioactive combines Latin radius (ray, beam) and active (moving, working), literally meaning 'emitting rays.' Waste derives from Latin vastus (desolate, empty), originally referring to barren land, later applied to discarded or unusable material. The compound term radioactive waste emerged in the 20th century alongside nuclear technology to describe byproducts of radioactive decay.
Breakdown
radio- (from Latin radius, ray) + -active (from Latin activus, capable of action) + waste (from Latin vastus, desolate, empty). The prefix radio- denotes radiation or rays; the suffix -active indicates the property of emitting such rays; waste refers to discarded or unwanted material.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The superhero's origin story involved accidentally falling into radioactive waste, but thankfully he only gained superpowers instead of extra limbs.”
“Countries are developing underground facilities to safely store radioactive waste for thousands of years.”
“The scientist joked that his glowing coffee mug wasn't radioactive waste, just really strong espresso.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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