English Reference

Word

xenon

US/ˈzinɑn/

UK/zˈɛnɒn/

Definition

n. a rare, colorless gas that is used to make bright lights and in car headlights. It is also used in some types of medical equipment.

n. a heavy, colorless, odorless noble gas with the symbol Xe and atomic number 54. It is used in various applications including high-intensity discharge lamps, ion propulsion systems, and medical imaging.

Examples

“The car uses xenon gas in its headlights.”

“Scientists discovered that xenon is present in the atmosphere of several planets in our solar system.”

“The spacecraft relies on xenon as a propellant for its ion thrusters, providing a highly efficient means of propulsion for deep-space missions.”

Examples

simple

“The car uses xenon gas in its headlights.”

contextual

“Scientists discovered that xenon is present in the atmosphere of several planets in our solar system.”

complex

“The spacecraft relies on xenon as a propellant for its ion thrusters, providing a highly efficient means of propulsion for deep-space missions.”

Real-World Examples

“This included the GOCE satellite, which famously launched into VLEO with a xenon ion thruster and eventually ran out of fuel.”
Phys.org · 15 Sept 2026
“At the heart of the detector are 10 tonnes of extremely pure liquid xenon.”
ScienceDaily · 4 Sept 2026

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ξένος (xénos, “foreign, strange”) + -on, used for all noble gases.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference