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rhodium

(rō′dē əm)

noun

a hard, gray-white metallic chemical element, one of the platinum metals, used in alloys with platinum and gold in thermocouples and as an electrical contact material, and in unalloyed form to electroplate optical instruments, silverware, jewelry, etc.: symbol, Rh; at. no., 45

Origin: ModL: so named (1804) by its discoverer, W. H. Wollaston (see wollastonite) < Gr rhodon, rose, after the color of a dilute solution of its salts + -ium

See rhodium in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun Symbol Rh

A hard, durable, silvery-white metallic element that is used to form high-temperature alloys with platinum and is plated on other metals to produce a durable corrosion-resistant coating. Atomic number 45; atomic weight 102.905; melting point 1,966°C; boiling point 3,727°C; specific gravity 12.41; valence 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. See Table at element.

Origin:

Origin: Greek rhodo-, rhodo-

Origin: + -ium

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