erbium
[ ur-bee-uh m ]
/ ˈɜr bi əm /
noun Chemistry.
a rare-earth metallic element, having pink salts. Symbol: Er; atomic weight: 167.26; atomic number: 68.
Origin of erbium
1835–45; < New Latin, named after
Ytterby, Sweden, where first found; see
-ium
Words nearby erbium
erb's palsy,
erb's sign,
erb-westphal sign,
erbf,
erbil,
erbium,
erceldoune,
ercilla,
erciyas daği,
erckmann-chatrian,
ercp
Example sentences from the Web for erbium
Erbium, a rare metal found along with yttrium, terbium, and other rare elements in some rare minerals.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia |Various(c.) Yttria (YO) occurs only in a few rare minerals, and usually in company with terbium and erbium.
A rare metal found by Prof. Mosander, associated with erbium and yttrium in ordinary yttria.
Cooley's Practical Receipts, Volume II |Arnold Cooley
British Dictionary definitions for erbium
erbium
/ (ˈɜːbɪəm) /
noun
a soft malleable silvery-white element of the lanthanide series of metals: used in special alloys, room-temperature lasers, and as a pigment. Symbol: Er; atomic no: 68; atomic wt: 167.26; valency: 3; relative density: 9.006; melting pt: 1529°C; boiling pt: 2868°C
Word Origin for erbium
C19: from New Latin, from (
Ytt)
erb (
y), Sweden, where it was first found +
-ium
Medical definitions for erbium
erbium
[ ûr′bē-əm ]
n. Symbol Er
A soft rare-earth element, used in metallurgy and nuclear research. Atomic number 68.
Scientific definitions for erbium
erbium
[ ûr′bē-əm ]
Er
A soft, silvery, metallic element of the lanthanide series. It is used as a neutron absorber in nuclear technology and in light amplification for fiber-optic telecommunications. Atomic number 68; atomic weight 167.26; melting point 1,497°C; boiling point 2,900°C; specific gravity 9.051; valence 3. See Periodic Table.