Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Ba

Ba

8 6.7
Symbol for the element barium, a soft silvery metal
  • noun
  • /beɪ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : bario
  • Significantly, exclusion from mainstream citizenship led Mamadou Ba to suggest that national boundaries ought to be redrawn.

Examples

  • In Abidjan, they met with the renowned oral historian Amadou Hampate Ba, as well as French and Ivoirian scholars and Catholic leaders.

    Academic text (2007)

  • The chemical symbol for barium is Ba, which is used in various industries.

  • They called the soul for the essence of each person his Ba.

    Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs (2007)

  • Following Ba's lead, the Peul called for retribution and equality of opportunity in the 1993 campaign.

    Academic text (1998)

  • In the periodic table, Ba represents barium, an important alkaline earth metal.

  • Chemists often refer to Ba when discussing the properties of barium compounds.

Synonyms

barium
vsBa
  • Specialized
10 7.1

A soft silvery-white metal used in industry and medical tests

is the chemical symbol used to represent that element in formulas

Compounds

ba-dum ching
  • Informal
9.9

A short musical drum sound played after a joke to show it is funny

Surface Forms

Ba singular
Bas plural

Etymology

Ba is the chemical symbol for barium, and chemical symbols usually shorten the element name. The name barium comes from the Greek word barys, meaning 'heavy', so Ba helps you remember this is the 'heavy' element often used in medical imaging and mineral tests.