-ium
Suffix
  1. (chemistry) Used to form the names of metal elements, after the style of early-named elements, as well as the isotopes of hydrogen.
  2. (chemistry) Used to form the temporary systematic element name of a metallic or nonmetallic element which is postulate#Verb|postulated to exist, or which has been newly synthesized and has not yet been assigned a permanent name.
  3. (by extension, humorous) Appended to common words to create scientific-sounding or humorous-sounding fictional substance names.
  4. Used to form the name of an aggregation or mass of something, such as biological tissue: for example, epithelium, pollinium. Words so formed often form their plural with -ia.
  5. Used to indicate the setting where a given activity is carried out: for example, auditorium, colloquium, gymnasium, natatorium, planetarium, podium, sanatorium, stadium. Words so formed often take -a for the plural.



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