vanadium

[ vuh-ney-dee-uh m ]
/ vəˈneɪ di əm /

noun Chemistry.

a rare element occurring in certain minerals and obtained as a light-gray powder with a silvery luster or as a ductile metal: used as an ingredient of steel to toughen it and increase its shock resistance. Symbol: V; atomic weight: 50.942; atomic number: 23; specific gravity: 5.96.

Origin of vanadium

< New Latin (1830) < Icelandic Vanad(ís) epithet of Freya ( Vana, genitive of Vanir Vanir + dís goddess) + New Latin -ium -ium

Example sentences from the Web for vanadium

British Dictionary definitions for vanadium

vanadium
/ (vəˈneɪdɪəm) /

noun

a toxic silvery-white metallic element occurring chiefly in carnotite and vanadinite and used in steel alloys, high-speed tools, and as a catalyst. Symbol: V; atomic no: 23; atomic wt: 50.9415; valency: 2–5; relative density: 6.11; melting pt: 1910±10°C; boiling pt: 3409°C

Word Origin for vanadium

C19: New Latin, from Old Norse Vanadis, epithet of the goddess Freya + -ium

Medical definitions for vanadium

vanadium
[ və-nādē-əm ]

n. Symbol V

A soft ductile metallic element, used in rust-resistant high-speed tools, as a carbon stabilizer in some steels, and as a catalyst. Atomic number 23.

Scientific definitions for vanadium

vanadium
[ və-nādē-əm ]

V

A soft, bright-white metallic element that occurs naturally in several minerals. It has good structural strength and is used especially to make strong varieties of steel. Atomic number 23; atomic weight 50.942; melting point 1,890°C; boiling point 3,000°C; specific gravity 6.11; valence 2, 3, 4, 5. See Periodic Table.