triatomic oxygen
nounUK /ˌtraɪəˈtɒmɪk ˈɒksɪdʒən/
US /ˌtraɪəˈtɑːmɪk ˈɑːksɪdʒən/
Ozone is a gas made of three oxygen atoms stuck together.
Triatomic oxygen forms a layer high in the sky that protects us from the sun's harmful rays.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A pale blue gas with a sharp smell, often created by electrical sparks or lightning.
You can sometimes smell triatomic oxygen in the air after a thunderstorm.
3. A molecule consisting of exactly three oxygen atoms bonded together.
Chemists write triatomic oxygen as O3 to show its three atoms.
4. A form of oxygen found in the upper atmosphere that absorbs ultraviolet light.
The ozone layer is made mostly of triatomic oxygen.