barium sulfate
- noun
- /ˈbɛəriəm ˈsʌlfeɪt/
- Specialized
:
sulfato de bario
- Before her X-ray, the doctor asked her to swallow barium sulfate for better imaging results.
Examples
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Because barium sulfate does not dissolve in water, it's safe for certain medical uses.
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Artists sometimes use barium sulfate as a pigment due to its whiteness and opacity.
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The artist used barium sulfate in her paintings.
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Doctors often use barium sulfate for imaging procedures.
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In medical imaging, barium sulfate is often used as a contrast agent to enhance the visibility of the digestive tract.
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The laboratory mixed the paint with barium sulfate to improve its opacity and brightness.
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During the procedure, the doctor explained that barium sulfate would help them to see clearer images of the patient's insides.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A heavy white or colorless mineral used as the main source of the metal barium
A white solid powder used as a pigment and filler in paint and paper
A white mineral mined to get the metal barium
Surface Forms
Morphology
The term is a straightforward chemical compound name formed from 'barium' (an element) + 'sulfate' (the SO4^2- salt), so its basic meaning as the sulfate (salt) of barium is directly derivable from the constituents. Although detailed properties or uses (insolubility, medical imaging) require specialist knowledge, the core referent is compositional and follows standard chemical-naming patterns familiar across languages.
Etymology
The name barium sulfate comes from its two parts: barium, a heavy metal, and sulfate, a kind of salt that makes a very white powder. Because this heavy white powder 'shows up on X-rays', doctors use it to make the inside of the body visible, so the name tells us what it is and why it is used.