Dictionary Home » Dictionary Definitions » erbium

erbium

(ʉr′bē əm)

noun

a trivalent chemical element, one of the rare-earth elements: symbol, Er; at. no., 68

Origin: ModL: so named (1843) by K. G. Mosander (1797-1858), Swed chemist, after Ytterby, village in Sweden where the rare-earth minerals were first found + -ium

See erbium in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun Symbol Er

A soft, malleable, silvery rare-earth element, used in metallurgy and nuclear research and to color glass and porcelain. Atomic number 68; atomic weight 167.26; melting point 1,497°C; boiling point 2,900°C; specific gravity 9.051; valence 3. See Table at element.

Origin:

Origin: After Ytterby, a town in Sweden

Learn more about erbium

erbium computer definition

erbium medical definition

erbium science

erbium in a sentence

link/cite print suggestion box