English
WOTD – 8 February 2026
Etymology
From a modified version of Mendeleev + -ium (suffix forming names of metal elements), named in honour of the Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev (1834–1907) who formulated the periodic law and created an early version of the periodic table of elements.[1] The word was proposed by a team from the University of California, Berkeley, comprising the team leader Stanley Gerald Thompson and members Gregory Robert Choppin, Albert Ghiorso, Bernard George Harvey, and Glenn T. Seaborg, who artificially synthesized the element in early 1955.[2] (The same name was proposed, but rejected, for the earlier-discovered elements berkelium and erbium.)
Pronunciation
Noun
mendelevium (uncountable)
- (chemistry) A radioactive metallic transuranic chemical element (symbol Md) with atomic number 101, which is artificially produced in a particle accelerator.
- Synonyms: (symbol) Md, (symbol, obsolete) Mv, (dated) unnilunium
1955 May 14, “Element 101 Discovered”, in Science News Letter, volume 67, number 20, Washington, D.C.: Science Service, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 307, column 1:Mendelevium, the heaviest and rarest form of matter known, has been produced in the University of California's cyclotron. Identity based on only 17 atoms of new element [subtitle]. […] Mendelevium is intensely radioactive, decaying by spontaneous fission. Its half-life is between a half hour and three hours. It has chemical properties similar to those of thulium, element 69, a rare earth.
1959 (date composed), Tom Lehrer, “The Elements”, in Too Many Songs, New York, N.Y.: Pantheon Books, published 1981, →ISBN, part 2 (From An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer), page 151, column 2:There's sulfur, californium, and fermium, berkelium, / And also mendelevium, einsteinium, nobelium, / And argon, krypton, neon, radon, xenon, zinc, and rhodium, / And chlorine, carbon, cobalt, copper, tungsten, tin, and sodium.
1963 January, “Physical Research: New Physical Research Facilities”, in Major Activities in the Atomic Energy Programs: January–December 1962, United States Atomic Energy Commission, United States Government Printing Office, →OCLC, part 4 (Other Major Programs), page 336:Seven new elements were discovered with the 60-inch cyclotron: 85 (astatine), 93 (neptunium), 94 (plutonium), 96 (curium), 97 (berkelium), 98 (californium), and 101 (mendeleevium).
1987, R. S. Baghavan, “The Transformation from Quantity to Quality and Quality to Quantity”, in An Introduction to the Philosophy of Marxism, 2nd edition, part I, London: Socialist Platform, →ISBN, page 115:In the expert hands of Enrico Fermi, beginning with 1934, neutron bombardment produced new atomic miracles. In 1940, Fermi created neptunium (Z = 93), the first artificial, 'trans-uranic', element. Others, also unstable, soon followed, among them fermium (Z = 100) and mendeleyevium (Z = 101).
2025 July, Iain MacGregor, “Notes [to chapter 6]”, in The Hiroshima Men: The Quest to Build the Atomic Bomb, and the Fateful Decision to Use It, 1st Scribner hardcover edition, New York, N.Y.: Scribner, →ISBN, endnote 6, page 381:[Glenn Theodore] Seaborg would be the principal co-discoverer of ten elements on the periodic table: plutonium, americium, curium, berkelium, californium, einsteinium, fermium, mendelevium, nobelium, and element 106.
Derived terms
Translations
chemical element with atomic number 101
References
- ^ “mendelevium, n.”, in OED Online , Oxford: Oxford University Press, July 2023; “mendelevium, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
- ^ A[lbert] Ghiorso, B[ernard] G[eorge] Harvey, G[regory] R[obert] Choppin, S[tanley] G[erald] Thompson, Glenn T[heodore] Seaborg (1 June 1955), “New Element Mendelevium, Atomic Number 101”, in Physical Review, volume 98, number 5, Lancaster, Pa.: […] [F]or the American Physical Society by the American Institute of Physics, →DOI, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 1519, column 2; reprinted in Glenn T. Seaborg, editor, Modern Alchemy: Selected Papers of Glenn T. Seaborg (World Scientific Series in 20th Century Chemistry; 2), Singapore: World Scientific Publishing, 1994, →ISBN, part I (New Elements, New Isotopes, Actinide Concept), page 101:
We would like to suggest the name mendelevium, symbol Mv, for the new element in recognition of the pioneering role of the great Russian chemist, Dmitri Mendeleev, who was the first to use the periodic system of the elements to predict the chemical properties of undiscovered elements, a principle which has been the key to the discovery of the last seven transuranium (actinide) elements.
Further reading
Afrikaans
Noun
mendelevium (uncountable)
- mendelevium
Danish
Etymology
From Russian Менделеев (Mendelejev) + -ium. Named after the scientist Dmitri Mendeleev
Noun
mendelevium n (singular definite mendeleviummet, not used in plural form)
- mendelevium
Declension
Declension of mendelevium
neuter gender
|
singular
|
| indefinite
|
definite
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| nominative
|
mendelevium
|
mendeleviummet
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| genitive
|
mendeleviums
|
mendeleviummets
|
References
Dutch
Pronunciation
Noun
mendelevium n (uncountable, no diminutive)
- mendelevium
Finnish
Etymology
Internationalism (see English mendelevium).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈmendeleʋium/, [ˈme̞nde̞ˌle̞ʋium]
- Rhymes: -eʋium
- Syllabification(key): men‧de‧le‧vi‧um
- Hyphenation(key): men‧de‧le‧vi‧um
Noun
mendelevium
- mendelevium
Declension
| Inflection of mendelevium (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
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| nominative
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mendelevium
|
mendeleviumit
|
| genitive
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mendeleviumin
|
mendeleviumien
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| partitive
|
mendeleviumia
|
mendeleviumeja
|
| illative
|
mendeleviumiin
|
mendeleviumeihin
|
|
|
singular
|
plural
|
| nominative
|
mendelevium
|
mendeleviumit
|
| accusative
|
nom.
|
mendelevium
|
mendeleviumit
|
| gen.
|
mendeleviumin
|
| genitive
|
mendeleviumin
|
mendeleviumien
|
| partitive
|
mendeleviumia
|
mendeleviumeja
|
| inessive
|
mendeleviumissa
|
mendeleviumeissa
|
| elative
|
mendeleviumista
|
mendeleviumeista
|
| illative
|
mendeleviumiin
|
mendeleviumeihin
|
| adessive
|
mendeleviumilla
|
mendeleviumeilla
|
| ablative
|
mendeleviumilta
|
mendeleviumeilta
|
| allative
|
mendeleviumille
|
mendeleviumeille
|
| essive
|
mendeleviumina
|
mendeleviumeina
|
| translative
|
mendeleviumiksi
|
mendeleviumeiksi
|
| abessive
|
mendeleviumitta
|
mendeleviumeitta
|
| instructive
|
—
|
mendeleviumein
|
| comitative
|
See the possessive forms below.
|
| first-person singular possessor
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|
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singular
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plural
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| nominative
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mendeleviumini
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mendeleviumini
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| accusative
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nom.
|
mendeleviumini
|
mendeleviumini
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| gen.
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mendeleviumini
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| genitive
|
mendeleviumini
|
mendeleviumieni
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| partitive
|
mendeleviumiani
|
mendeleviumejani
|
| inessive
|
mendeleviumissani
|
mendeleviumeissani
|
| elative
|
mendeleviumistani
|
mendeleviumeistani
|
| illative
|
mendeleviumiini
|
mendeleviumeihini
|
| adessive
|
mendeleviumillani
|
mendeleviumeillani
|
| ablative
|
mendeleviumiltani
|
mendeleviumeiltani
|
| allative
|
mendeleviumilleni
|
mendeleviumeilleni
|
| essive
|
mendeleviuminani
|
mendeleviumeinani
|
| translative
|
mendeleviumikseni
|
mendeleviumeikseni
|
| abessive
|
mendeleviumittani
|
mendeleviumeittani
|
| instructive
|
—
|
—
|
| comitative
|
— |
mendeleviumeineni
|
| second-person singular possessor
|
|
|
singular
|
plural
|
| nominative
|
mendeleviumisi
|
mendeleviumisi
|
| accusative
|
nom.
|
mendeleviumisi
|
mendeleviumisi
|
| gen.
|
mendeleviumisi
|
| genitive
|
mendeleviumisi
|
mendeleviumiesi
|
| partitive
|
mendeleviumiasi
|
mendeleviumejasi
|
| inessive
|
mendeleviumissasi
|
mendeleviumeissasi
|
| elative
|
mendeleviumistasi
|
mendeleviumeistasi
|
| illative
|
mendeleviumiisi
|
mendeleviumeihisi
|
| adessive
|
mendeleviumillasi
|
mendeleviumeillasi
|
| ablative
|
mendeleviumiltasi
|
mendeleviumeiltasi
|
| allative
|
mendeleviumillesi
|
mendeleviumeillesi
|
| essive
|
mendeleviuminasi
|
mendeleviumeinasi
|
| translative
|
mendeleviumiksesi
|
mendeleviumeiksesi
|
| abessive
|
mendeleviumittasi
|
mendeleviumeittasi
|
| instructive
|
—
|
—
|
| comitative
|
— |
mendeleviumeinesi
|
| first-person plural possessor
|
|
|
singular
|
plural
|
| nominative
|
mendeleviumimme
|
mendeleviumimme
|
| accusative
|
nom.
|
mendeleviumimme
|
mendeleviumimme
|
| gen.
|
mendeleviumimme
|
| genitive
|
mendeleviumimme
|
mendeleviumiemme
|
| partitive
|
mendeleviumiamme
|
mendeleviumejamme
|
| inessive
|
mendeleviumissamme
|
mendeleviumeissamme
|
| elative
|
mendeleviumistamme
|
mendeleviumeistamme
|
| illative
|
mendeleviumiimme
|
mendeleviumeihimme
|
| adessive
|
mendeleviumillamme
|
mendeleviumeillamme
|
| ablative
|
mendeleviumiltamme
|
mendeleviumeiltamme
|
| allative
|
mendeleviumillemme
|
mendeleviumeillemme
|
| essive
|
mendeleviuminamme
|
mendeleviumeinamme
|
| translative
|
mendeleviumiksemme
|
mendeleviumeiksemme
|
| abessive
|
mendeleviumittamme
|
mendeleviumeittamme
|
| instructive
|
—
|
—
|
| comitative
|
— |
mendeleviumeinemme
|
| second-person plural possessor
|
|
|
singular
|
plural
|
| nominative
|
mendeleviuminne
|
mendeleviuminne
|
| accusative
|
nom.
|
mendeleviuminne
|
mendeleviuminne
|
| gen.
|
mendeleviuminne
|
| genitive
|
mendeleviuminne
|
mendeleviumienne
|
| partitive
|
mendeleviumianne
|
mendeleviumejanne
|
| inessive
|
mendeleviumissanne
|
mendeleviumeissanne
|
| elative
|
mendeleviumistanne
|
mendeleviumeistanne
|
| illative
|
mendeleviumiinne
|
mendeleviumeihinne
|
| adessive
|
mendeleviumillanne
|
mendeleviumeillanne
|
| ablative
|
mendeleviumiltanne
|
mendeleviumeiltanne
|
| allative
|
mendeleviumillenne
|
mendeleviumeillenne
|
| essive
|
mendeleviuminanne
|
mendeleviumeinanne
|
| translative
|
mendeleviumiksenne
|
mendeleviumeiksenne
|
| abessive
|
mendeleviumittanne
|
mendeleviumeittanne
|
| instructive
|
—
|
—
|
| comitative
|
— |
mendeleviumeinenne
|
| third-person possessor
|
|
|
singular
|
plural
|
| nominative
|
mendeleviuminsa
|
mendeleviuminsa
|
| accusative
|
nom.
|
mendeleviuminsa
|
mendeleviuminsa
|
| gen.
|
mendeleviuminsa
|
| genitive
|
mendeleviuminsa
|
mendeleviumiensa
|
| partitive
|
mendeleviumiaan mendeleviumiansa
|
mendeleviumejaan mendeleviumejansa
|
| inessive
|
mendeleviumissaan mendeleviumissansa
|
mendeleviumeissaan mendeleviumeissansa
|
| elative
|
mendeleviumistaan mendeleviumistansa
|
mendeleviumeistaan mendeleviumeistansa
|
| illative
|
mendeleviumiinsa
|
mendeleviumeihinsa
|
| adessive
|
mendeleviumillaan mendeleviumillansa
|
mendeleviumeillaan mendeleviumeillansa
|
| ablative
|
mendeleviumiltaan mendeleviumiltansa
|
mendeleviumeiltaan mendeleviumeiltansa
|
| allative
|
mendeleviumilleen mendeleviumillensa
|
mendeleviumeilleen mendeleviumeillensa
|
| essive
|
mendeleviuminaan mendeleviuminansa
|
mendeleviumeinaan mendeleviumeinansa
|
| translative
|
mendeleviumikseen mendeleviumiksensa
|
mendeleviumeikseen mendeleviumeiksensa
|
| abessive
|
mendeleviumittaan mendeleviumittansa
|
mendeleviumeittaan mendeleviumeittansa
|
| instructive
|
—
|
—
|
| comitative
|
— |
mendeleviumeineen mendeleviumeinensa
|
|
Latin
Etymology
Named after Russian chemist and inventor Дми́трий Ива́нович Менделе́ев (Dmítrij Ivánovič Mendeléev) (1834–1907).
Derived from Mendeleev + -ium (chemical element suffix).
Pronunciation
Noun
mendelēvium n (genitive mendelēviī); second declension
- (New Latin, chemistry) mendelevium
Declension
Second-declension noun (neuter).
Descendants
Malay
Etymology
From English mendelevium.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [mɛndəlɛviom], [mɛndəlɛviəm]
- Rhymes: -iom, -jom, -om
Noun
mendelevium
- mendelevium (chemical element)
Slovak
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈmɛndɛlɛvɪjʊm/
Noun
mendelevium n (genitive singular mendelevia, declension pattern of mesto)
- mendelevium (element)
Declension
Declension of mendelevium
|
|
singulare tantum
|
| nominative
|
mendelevium
|
| genitive
|
mendelevia
|
| dative
|
mendeleviu
|
| accusative
|
mendelevium
|
| locative
|
mendeleviu
|
| instrumental
|
mendeleviom
|
Further reading
Swedish
Noun
mendelevium n
- mendelevium
Declension
References