tantalum Hear it!

tantalum definition

tan·ta·lum (tan′tə ləm)

noun

a hard, gray, ductile, corrosion-resistant, metallic chemical element found in various minerals and used in making nuclear reactors, chemical equipment, missiles, electronic components, etc.: symbol, Ta; at. no., 73

Etymology: ModL: so named (1802) by its discoverer, Anders Gustaf Ekeberg (1767-1813), Swed chemist < Gr Tantalos, Tantalus (its insolubility in most acids made extraction from the mineral tantalizing) + -(i)um

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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