fluorine
UK[ˈflʊəriːn]US[ˈflʊrˌiːn]
n
a chemical element (symbol F), a pale yellow gas that is very reactive and poisonous.
Morpheme Breakdown
fluor
ine
fluor
mineral
ine
chemical suffix
Etymology
the word 'fluorine' originates from the latin 'fluor', meaning 'a flowing' or 'flux', which was used to name the mineral fluorite (calcium fluoride). this mineral was historically used as a flux in metal smelting because it helped ores flow more easily. the chemical element, isolated in the 19th century, was named after this mineral from which it was first derived. the suffix '-ine' is a standard chemical nomenclature, indicating it is a halogen element, thus the name literally means 'the element from fluorite'.
Analysis
Structure: fluor (mineral) + ine (chemical suffix)
fluor (from latin 'fluor', meaning 'a flowing, a mineral used as a flux', from fluere 'to flow'); ine (a suffix used in chemistry to form names of chemical substances, especially halogens and basic compounds).
Examples
fluorine is the most reactive of all the chemical elements.
toothpaste often contains compounds like sodium fluoride, which releases fluoride ions, a form of fluorine.
due to its high reactivity, elemental fluorine is handled with extreme care in laboratories.