tungsten Hear it!

tungsten definition

tung·sten (tuŋ′stən)

noun

a hard, heavy, gray-white, metallic chemical element, found in wolframite, scheelite, tungstite, etc., and used in steel for high-speed tools, in electric contact points and lamp filaments, etc.: symbol, W; at. no., 74
see the periodic table of elements in the Reference Supplement

Etymology: Swed, lit., heavy stone, orig. name for scheelite, coined (1755) by A. F. Cronstedt (see nickel) < tung, heavy (< IE *tṇghu- < base *ten-, to pull > thin) + sten, akin to OE stan, stone; used (1783) for element isolated from scheelite by J. J. de Elhuyar (1754-96) & F. de Elhuyar (1755-1833), Sp chemists

Related Forms:

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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