polo

n. [ Sp., an air or popular song in Andalucia. ] A Spanish gypsy dance characterized by energetic movements of the body while the feet merely shuffle or glide, with unison singing and rhythmic clapping of hands. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. [ F. polonais, polonaise, Polish. ] Of or pertaining to the Poles, or to Poland. [ Written also Polonese. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Written also Polonese and Polonoise. ] 1. The Polish language. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An article of dress for women, consisting of a body and an outer skirt in one piece. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Mus.) A stately Polish dance tune, in 3-4 measure, beginning always on the beat with a quaver followed by a crotchet, and closing on the beat after a strong accent on the second beat; also, a dance adapted to such music; a polacca. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. & n. See Polonaise. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL. So named after Poland, in L. form Polonia, one of the discoverers being a Pole. ] (Chem.) A radioactive chemical element, discovered by M. and MMe. Curie in pitchblende, and originally called radium F. It has atomic number 84 and an atomic weight of 210. It is a very rare natural element, having an abundance in uranium ores only 0.2% that of radium. It is closely related chemically to bismuth. It emits only alpha rays, and has a half-life of 138 days. It is thus more unstable than radium, and a milligram of polonium emits as many alpha particles as 5 grams of radium. Twenty-seven isotopes are known, with atomic masses from 192 to 218. At present a more practical method of preparation than isolation from ores is the preparation by neutron bombardment of bismuth in a nuclear reactor, and it may be obtained commercially by users having an appropriate permit. [ HBCF61 ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]