Tennessine

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A synthetic element with the symbol Ts and atomic number 117 ; first discovered in 2010 by Russian and American scientists working collaboratively
2. Representing element 117, known as Ts ; named tennessine in honor of contributions from the state of Tennessee
3. Classified as a superheavy element, Ts with atomic number 117 ; notable for being one of the few named after a U.S. state and predicted to be highly radioactive and extremely short-lived

Etymology: Tennessine is one of the newest elements on the periodic table, and its name was settled only in 2016, when the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) approved it. The element had been synthesised by a collaboration including the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Vanderbilt University and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and the name honours the Tennessee region where much of this work was done. The word is a plain formation: "Tennessee" with the suffix "-ine". The Tennessee name itself reaches back to the Cherokee word "tanasi", a settlement name that English speakers later adapted into the state's name. The suffix "-ine" was chosen deliberately, even though most newly named elements take "-ium". Tennessine belongs to the halogen group, the same family as fluorine and chlorine, and those elements traditionally end in "-ine", so the name follows that chemical pattern rather than the metallic "-ium" convention.