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Glite Dictionary
barium selenite

barium selenite

8.5
A poisonous salt made from the elements barium and selenium
  • noun
  • /ˈbɛəriəm ˈsɛləˌnaɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : selenito de bario
  • The chemist synthesized barium selenite in the lab.

Examples

  • Laboratory staff must handle barium selenite with extreme caution because of its toxicity.

  • Barium selenite is highly toxic and may be fatal if inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through skin.

  • Exposure to barium selenite should be avoided, as it can pose serious health risks.

  • Can you explain what barium selenite is?

  • Barium selenite is a dangerous substance that can cause severe health issues if proper safety measures are not followed.

  • In chemistry, barium selenite is recognized for its possible harmful effects and requires careful handling during experiments.

  • Workers must be aware that barium selenite can lead to serious health complications if not managed safely in the laboratory.

Surface Forms

barium selenite singular
barium selenites plural

Morphology

barium + selenite

The term is strictly compositional: combining 'barium' (a metal element) with 'selenite' (the selenite anion/compound) yields the barium salt of selenite, which matches the provided definition and formula. This follows standard chemical naming conventions that are cross-linguistically consistent, so a learner who knows both constituent words can readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Barium selenite is named from barium, the metal part, and selenite, a form of the element selenium, so the name shows what it is made of. That's why the name tells chemists it is the 'selenite salt' of barium and why it is a substance to handle with care.