martensite

[ mahr-tn-zahyt ]
/ ˈmɑr tnˌzaɪt /

noun Metallurgy.

a metastable microconstituent of any of various forms of carbon steel, produced by undercooling sufficiently below the normal transformation temperature, especially a hard, brittle product of the decomposition of austenite, produced in this way.

Origin of martensite

1895–1900; named after Adolf Martens (died 1914), German metallurgist; see -ite1

OTHER WORDS FROM martensite

mar·ten·sit·ic [mahr-tn-zit-ik] /ˌmɑr tnˈzɪt ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby martensite

martellato, martello tower, martelé, martempering, marten, martensite, martha, martha washington chair, martha washington table, martha's vineyard, martial

Example sentences from the Web for martensite

British Dictionary definitions for martensite

martensite
/ (ˈmɑːtɪnˌzaɪt) /

noun

a constituent formed in steels by rapid quenching, consisting of a supersaturated solid solution of carbon in iron. It is formed by the breakdown of austenite when the rate of cooling is large enough to prevent pearlite forming

Derived forms of martensite

martensitic (ˌmɑːtɪnˈzɪtɪk), adjective

Word Origin for martensite

C20: named after Adolf Martens (died 1914), German metallurgist