fran·ci·um (fr?n?s?-?m)n. Symbol Fr An extremely unstable radioactive element of the alkali metals, produced by alpha decay of actinium or artificially from thorium, having over 40 isotopes and isomers, the most stable of which is Fr-223 with a half-life of 22 minutes. Atomic number 87; melting point 27°C; boiling point 677°C; valence 1. See Periodic Table.[After France.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.francium (?fræns??m) n (Elements & Compounds) an unstable radioactive element of the alkali-metal group, occurring in minute amounts in uranium ores. Symbol: Fr; atomic no: 87; half-life of most stable isotope, 223Fr: 22 minutes; valency: 1; melting pt: 27°C; boiling pt: 677°C[C20: from New Latin, from France + -ium; so-called because first found in France]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014fran?ci?um (?fræn si ?m) n. a radioactive element of the alkali metal group. Symbol: Fr; at. no.: 87. [