gallium
[ gal-ee-uh m ]
/ ˈgæl i əm /
noun Chemistry.
a rare, steel-gray, trivalent metallic element used in high-temperature thermometers because of its high boiling point (1983°C) and low melting point (30°C). Symbol: Ga; atomic weight: 69.72; atomic number: 31; specific gravity: 5.91 at 20°C.
Origin of gallium
1870–75; < New Latin, equivalent to Latin
gall(us) cock (translation of French
coq, from
Lecoq de Boisbaudran, 19th-century French chemist) + New Latin
-ium
-ium
Words nearby gallium
gallinipper,
gallinule,
galliot,
gallipoli,
gallipot,
gallium,
gallium arsenide,
gallium-67,
gallium-68,
gallivant,
galliwasp
Example sentences from the Web for gallium
British Dictionary definitions for gallium
gallium
/ (ˈɡælɪəm) /
noun
a silvery metallic element that is liquid for a wide temperature range. It occurs in trace amounts in some ores and is used in high-temperature thermometers and low-melting alloys. Gallium arsenide is a semiconductor. Symbol: Ga; atomic no: 31; atomic wt: 69.723; valency: 2 or 3; relative density: 5.904; melting pt: 29.77°C; boiling pt: 2205°C
Word Origin for gallium
C19: from New Latin, from Latin
gallus cock, translation of French
coq in the name of its discoverer,
Lecoq de Boisbaudran, 19th-century French chemist
Medical definitions for gallium
gallium
[ găl′ē-əm ]
n. Symbol Ga
A rare metallic element that is liquid near room temperature and is found as a trace element in coal, bauxite, and other minerals. Atomic number 31.
Scientific definitions for gallium
gallium
[ găl′ē-əm ]
Ga
A rare, silvery metallic element that is found as a trace element in coal, in bauxite, and in several minerals. It is liquid near room temperature and expands when it solidifies. It is used in thermometers and semiconductors. Atomic number 31; atomic weight 69.72; melting point 29.78°C; boiling point 2,403°C; specific gravity 5.907; valence 2, 3. See Periodic Table.