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xenon

ZEE-non · noun

Ancient GreekEnglish

Origin

Xenon comes from Ancient Greek ξένος (xénos), meaning 'foreign' or 'strange,' combined with the suffix -on used for naming noble gases.

Journey

The name was applied directly to this newly isolated element, marking it as an odd stranger among the gases of the atmosphere.

Related words

It shares its root with other words built on xénos, all carrying the sense of foreignness or strangeness.

More words

From Ancient Greek

Nearby, A–Z

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