iridium
pronunciation
How to pronounce iridium in British English:
UK [ɪˈrɪdiəm]
How to pronounce iridium in American English:
US [ɪ'rɪdɪrm]
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- Noun:
- a heavy brittle metallic element of the platinum group; used in alloys; occurs in natural alloys with platinum or osmium
Word Origin
- iridium (n.)
- 1804, Modern Latin, coined by its discoverer, English chemist Smithson Tennant (1761-1815) from Greek iris (genitive iridos) "rainbow;" so called for "the striking variety of colours which it gives while dissolving in marine acid" [Tennant]
Example
- 1. Indeed , two iridium layers have been found in some places .
- 2. Platinum , iridium and the rest are expensive precisely because they are rare .
- 3. Analyzing the fossils at this small site , they counted 52 distinct species just below the iridium layer .
- 4. Further examination revealed a crater rich in shocked quartz and iridium , minerals that are commonly found at impact sites .
- 5. Iridium can also be found in crystals in computer memory devices , deep-water pipes , x-ray telescopes and the equipment that makes rayon fibers .