Adjacent Words

erbium definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs with yttrium [syn: erbium, Er, atomic number 68]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: New Latin, from Ytterby, Sweden Date: 1843 a metallic element of the rare-earth group — see element table

Dictionary of the Elements

erbium
Symbol: Er
Atomic number: 68
Atomic weight: 167.26
Soft silvery metallic element which belongs to the lanthanoids. Six natural isotopes that are stable. Twelve artificial isotopes are known. Used in nuclear technology as a neutron absorber. It is being investigated for other possible uses. Discovered by Carl G. Mosander in 1843.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. Chem. a soft silvery metallic element of the lanthanide series, occurring naturally in apatite and xenotine. Usage: Symb.: Er. Etymology: mod.L f. Ytterby in Sweden

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Erbium Er"bi*um, n. [NL. Named from Ytterby, in Sweden, where gadolinite is found. Cf. Terbium, Yttrium, Ytterbium.] (Chem.) A metallic element of the rare earth group, found in gadolinite and some other minerals. Symbol, Er; at. wt. 167.4. Its salts are rose-colored and give characteristic spectra.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Erbium Er"bi*um, n. [NL. from Ytterby, in Sweden, where gadolinite is found. Cf. Terbium, Yttrium, Ytterbium.] (Chem.) A rare metallic element associated with several other rare elements in the mineral gadolinite from Ytterby in Sweden. Symbol Er. Atomic weight 165.9. Its salts are rose-colored and give characteristic spectra. Its sesquioxide is called erbia.