curie
UK[ˈkjʊəri]US[ˈkjʊri]
n
a unit of radioactivity, equal to 3.7 × 10¹⁰ disintegrations per second.
Etymology
the term 'curie' is an eponym, derived from the surname of marie skłodowska-curie and pierre curie, the pioneering physicists who conducted foundational research on radioactivity. it was officially adopted as a unit of measurement in 1910 at the international congress of radiology and electrotherapy to honor their contributions. the word's journey is not one of morphemic combination but of direct lexical borrowing from a proper noun into the specialized lexicon of physics. its meaning is thus entirely conventional, defined by international scientific agreement rather than compositional semantics.
Analysis
this is a loanword adopted as a simplex unit from a proper name. it does not contain separable, productive morphemes within the english spelling system.
Examples
the sample had an activity of 2.5 curies.
the curie is a historical unit, largely replaced by the becquerel in the si system.
marie curie's work was so influential that a unit of radioactivity was named after her.