terbium

[ tur-bee-uh m ]
/ ˈtɜr bi əm /

noun Chemistry.

a rare-earth, metallic element present in certain minerals and yielding colorless salts. Symbol: Tb; atomic number: 65; atomic weight: 158.924; specific gravity: 8.25.

Origin of terbium

1835–45; (Yt)terb(y), name of Swedish town where found + -ium. See ytterbium

OTHER WORDS FROM terbium

ter·bic, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for terbium

British Dictionary definitions for terbium

terbium
/ (ˈtɜːbɪəm) /

noun

a soft malleable silvery-grey element of the lanthanide series of metals, occurring in gadolinite and monazite and used in lasers and for doping solid-state devices. Symbol: Tb; atomic no: 65; atomic wt: 158.92534; valency: 3 or 4; relative density: 8.230; melting pt: 1356°C; boiling pt: 3230°C

Derived forms of terbium

terbic, adjective

Word Origin for terbium

C19: from New Latin, named after Ytterby, Sweden, village where it was discovered

Medical definitions for terbium

terbium
[ tûrbē-əm ]

n. Symbol Tb

A soft metallic rare-earth element used in x-ray tubes. Atomic number 65.

Scientific definitions for terbium

terbium
[ tûrbē-əm ]

Tb

A soft, silvery-gray metallic element of the lanthanide series. It is used in color television tubes, x-ray machines, and lasers. Atomic number 65; atomic weight 158.925; melting point 1,356°C; boiling point 3,123°C; specific gravity 8.229; valence 3, 4. See Periodic Table.