er·bi·um
(ûr′bē-əm)n. Symbol Er
A soft, malleable, silvery element of the lanthanide series, used in metallurgy and nuclear research and to color glass and porcelain. Atomic number 68; atomic weight 167.26; melting point 1,529°C; boiling point 2,868°C; specific gravity 9.066; valence 3. See Periodic Table.
[After Ytterby, a town in Sweden.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
erbium
(ˈɜːbɪəm)n
(Elements & Compounds) 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
[C19: from New Latin, from (Ytt)erb(y), Sweden, where it was first found + -ium]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
er•bi•um
(ˈɜr bi əm)n.
a rare-earth element, having pink salts. Symbol: Er; at. wt.: 167.26; at. no.: 68.
[1835–45; < New Latin, after Ytterby, Sweden, where first found; see -ium2]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
er·bi·um
(ûr′bē-əm) Symbol Er A soft, silvery, easily shaped metallic element of the lanthanide series. It is used to make light signals stronger in long-distance telephone and computer cables that use fiber optics. Atomic number 68. See Periodic Table.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Noun | 1. |  erbium - a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs with yttriummetal, metallic element - any of several chemical elements that are usually shiny solids that conduct heat or electricity and can be formed into sheets etc. fergusonite - a dark mineral consisting of oxides of yttrium and erbium and tantalum and other minerals gadolinite, ytterbite - a mineral that is a source of rare earths; consists of silicates of iron and beryllium and cerium and yttrium and erbium |
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