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calcium

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The definition of calcium is the fifth most abundant element in the human body.

Facts About Calcium

Calcium is is the fifth most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust, found in the form of a compound or a salt.
Limestone and granite are forms of calcium carbonate.
Calcium carbonate is the salt that makes hard water.
Calcium serves many functions in the body including the construction of bones and teeth.
Nutritional sources of calcium include: Cow’s milk, cheese, kelp, beans, oranges and broccoli

(noun)

An example of calcium is the mineral found in dairy products.
An example of calcium is chalk which is made of calcium carbonate.

See calcium in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

a soft, silver-white, metallic chemical element, one of the alkaline-earth metals, found in limestone, marble, chalk, etc., always in combination: it is used as a reducing agent and in fertilizer, and is the essential part of bones, shells, and teeth: symbol, Ca; at. no., 20

Origin: ModL < L calx (gen. calcis), lime < or akin to Gr chalix, pebble + -ium: so named (1808) by Sir Humphry Davy

See calcium in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun Symbol Ca

A silvery, moderately hard metallic element that constitutes approximately 3 percent of the earth's crust and is a basic component of most animals and plants. It occurs naturally in limestone, gypsum, and fluorite, and its compounds are used to make plaster, quicklime, Portland cement, and metallurgic and electronic materials. Atomic number 20; atomic weight 40.08; melting point 842 to 848°C; boiling point 1,487°C; specific gravity 1.55; valence 2. See Table at element.

Origin:

Origin: Latin calx, calc-, lime; see calx

Origin: + -ium

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