: a chemical element of the noble gas group with atomic number 2 that is found especially in natural gases and used chiefly for inflating airships and balloons, as a coolant for superconductors, and as a component of inert atmospheres (as in welding)
—often used before another noun
helium balloons
helium gas
see Chemical Elements Table
Examples of helium in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Instead, the Sent Into Space engineers used a state-of-the-art balloon spacecraft that uses renewable hydrogen gas rather than helium, a finite resource, to elevate the suitcase into the stratosphere.
—
Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 24 Oct. 2024
However, the Falcon 9 launch was stopped just over two minutes before launch due to a helium leak on the rocket's first stage.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Loosely cover various sizes of either mylar or latex balloons (fill them with helium to float on their own) with sheets of sheer white cloth.
—Halee Miller Van Ryswyk, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2024
The balloon, filled with helium, flew out of my hands.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for helium 
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Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 24 Oct. 2024
However, the Falcon 9 launch was stopped just over two minutes before launch due to a helium leak on the rocket's first stage.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Loosely cover various sizes of either mylar or latex balloons (fill them with helium to float on their own) with sheets of sheer white cloth.
—Halee Miller Van Ryswyk, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Oct. 2024
The balloon, filled with helium, flew out of my hands.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for helium
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Dictionary Entries Near helium
Cite this Entry
“Helium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/helium. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
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Medical Definition
helium
noun
he·li·um
ˈhē-lē-əm 
: a light colorless nonflammable gaseous element found especially in natural gases and used chiefly for inflating airships and balloons, for filling incandescent lamps, and for cryogenic research
—symbol He
see Chemical Elements Table
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