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praseodymium

(prā′zē ō dim′ē əm, -sē-)

noun

a silvery, malleable chemical element, one of the rare-earth elements, whose salts are generally green in color and are used to color glasses and enamels: symbol, Pr; at. no., 59

Origin: ModL < praseodymia, a rare earth (< Gr prasios: see prase) + ModL (di)dymium (see didymium): so named (1885) by C. A. von Welsbach (1858-1929), Austrian chemist, from its spectroscopic line and from being split from didymium

See praseodymium in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun Symbol Pr

A soft, silvery, malleable, ductile rare-earth element that develops a characteristic green tarnish in air. It occurs naturally with other rare earths in monazite and is used to color glass and ceramics yellow, as a core material for carbon arcs, and in metallic alloys. Atomic number 59; atomic weight 140.908; melting point 935°C; boiling point 3,127°C; specific gravity 6.8; valence 3, 4. See Table at element.

Origin:

Origin: New Latin

Origin: , from German Praseodym

Origin: : Greek praseos

Origin: , variant of prasios, leek-green (from prason, leek)

Origin: + (di)dymium

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