Helium

Pronunciation

• enPR: hÄ“'lÄ“É™m, IPA: /ˈhiːlɪəm/
• Hyphenation: he + li + um

Origin

From New Latin helium, from Ancient Greek ἥλιος (hēlios, "sun") (because its presence was first theorised in the sun's atmosphere).

Full definition of helium

Noun

1. (uncountable) A colorless and inert gas, and the second lightest chemical element (symbol He) with an atomic number of 2 and atomic weight of 4.002602.
2. (countable) A form or sample of the element.

Derived terms

Related terms

• helio-
• Helios

Synonyms

• E939 when used as a packaging gas