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manganese

(maŋ′gə nēs′, -nēz′)

noun

a grayish-white, metallic chemical element, usually hard and brittle, which rusts like iron but is not magnetic: it is used in the manufacture of alloys of iron, aluminum, and copper: symbol, Mn; at. no., 25

Origin: Fr manganèse < It manganese, by metathesis < ML magnesia: see magnesia

See manganese in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun Symbol Mn

A gray-white or silvery brittle metallic element, occurring in several allotropic forms, found worldwide, especially in the ores pyrolusite and rhodochrosite and in nodules on the ocean floor. It is alloyed with steel to increase strength, hardness, wear resistance, and other properties and with other metals to form highly ferromagnetic materials. Atomic number 25; atomic weight 54.9380; melting point 1,244°C; boiling point 1,962°C; specific gravity 7.21 to 7.44; valence 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7. See Table at element.

Origin:

Origin: French manganèse

Origin: , from Italian manganese

Origin: , from Medieval Latin magnēsia, mineral ingredient of the philosophers' stone; see magnesia

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