plutonium
n. uncountable C1 Advanced US //pɫuˈtoʊniəm// UK //pluːtˈəʊniəm// plu·to·ni·um
n. a heavy, silver-colored metal that is radioactive and used to create nuclear energy or weapons. It does not occur much in nature and is usually made in laboratories.
n. a dense, silvery-white radioactive metallic element of the actinide series, with atomic number 94. Produced primarily in nuclear reactors, it is used as a fuel in nuclear power plants and as an explosive in nuclear weapons.
Scientists must handle plutonium with extreme care.
The facility was designed specifically to process and store plutonium safely away from the public.
The discovery of plutonium in 1940 fundamentally altered the landscape of modern warfare and energy production, necessitating the development of complex international safety protocols.