xenon

/ˌziˈnɑn/

/ˈzinɒn/

The chemical element xenon is a colorless, odorless gas. The Earth's atmosphere contains just a little bit of xenon.

First isolated in 1898 by the same chemists who discovered neon and krypton, this rare element is known for its heaviness. Because it's so scarce, xenon is also expensive, and it's mainly used to create extremely bright, brief flashes of light in specialized equipment like flash lamps. The Greek root of xenon is xenos, "rare or strange."

Definitions of xenon

1. noun

   a colorless odorless inert gaseous element occurring in the earth's atmosphere in trace amounts
   synonyms: Xe, atomic number 54

   type of:

   chemical element, element

   any of the more than 100 known substances (of which 92 occur naturally) that cannot be separated into simpler substances and that singly or in combination constitute all matter

   argonon, inert gas, noble gas

   any of the chemically inert gaseous elements of the helium group in the periodic table