Word
hydrogen
Phoneticshy·dro·gen, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈhaɪdɹədʒən/
UK/hˈaɪdɹədʒən/
Definitions
01chemical element
B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun Science Technical
n. the simplest and lightest chemical element, found in water and all living things.
n. the chemical element with atomic number 1 and symbol H. Uncountable when referring to the element in a general or chemical sense.
Español:hidrógeno
“Hydrogen is the most common element in the entire universe.”
“Hydrogen atoms consist of a single proton and a single electron, making it the simplest and most abundant element in the cosmos.”
Usage
Often used as a modifier in compound nouns like 'hydrogen atom' or 'hydrogen bond'.
02flammable gas
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun Science Technical
n. a gas with no colour or smell that burns very easily and can be used as fuel.
n. molecular hydrogen (H₂) existing as a colourless, odourless, and highly flammable gas at standard temperature and pressure.
“The car runs on hydrogen instead of petrol to help the environment.”
“The experimental aircraft was powered by liquid hydrogen, which requires specialised storage tanks to maintain extremely low temperatures.”
Usage
Commonly used with verbs like 'burn', 'store', or 'produce'.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “hydrogen” in context.
Verb
01. produce hydrogen
“Scientists are looking for more efficient ways to produce hydrogen from water using solar energy.”
verb + noun
02. store hydrogen
“One of the biggest challenges for the automotive industry is how to safely store hydrogen in vehicles.”
verb + noun
Adjective
03. liquid hydrogen
“The rocket engines are powered by a combination of liquid hydrogen and oxygen.”
adj + noun
04. molecular hydrogen
“Molecular hydrogen is the most abundant form of the element found in interstellar space.”
adj + noun
Noun
05. atom of hydrogen
“A single molecule of water consists of two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen.”
noun + of + noun
06. hydrogen bond
“The unique properties of water are largely due to the strength of the hydrogen bond.”
noun + noun
07. hydrogen fuel cell
“The city is investing in hydrogen fuel cell buses to reduce carbon emissions.”
noun + noun
08. hydrogen isotope
“Deuterium is a stable hydrogen isotope that contains one neutron.”
noun + noun
09. hydrogen atoms
10. hydrogen gas
Real-World Examples
“Scientists have created an unusually corrosion-resistant stainless steel that could replace costly titanium components used to produce green hydrogen.” “Because hydrogen is so abundant in the universe, the line is easy for radio telescopes to detect.” “Silver nanocatalysts have been found to switch where they perform their most important reactions depending on whether a solid oxide cell is making electricity or hydrogen.” Etymology
Borrowed from French hydrogène (“hydrogen”), coined by the French chemists Louis-Bernard Guyton de Morveau (1737–1816) and Antoine Lavoisier (1743–1794) from hydro- (prefix meaning ‘water’) + -gène (suffix denoting a producer of something), from the fact that water is produced as a compound when hydrogen is oxidized. The prefix hydro- is borrowed from Ancient Greek ῠ̔δρο- (hŭdro-), from ῡ̆̔́δωρ (hū̆́dōr, “water”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wed- (“water”). The suffix -gène is borrowed from Ancient Greek -γενής (-genḗs, suffix meaning ‘born in a certain condition or place’), from γένος (génos, “descendant, offspring; race; etc.”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵenh₁- (“to beget, produce; to give birth”)) + -ης (-ēs, suffix forming some third-declension adjectives). By surface analysis, hydro- (prefix meaning ‘water’) + -gen (suffix denoting a producer of something).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
Related words
Idioms
01. hydrogen burning
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · AdvancedOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/hydrogen
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0