tantalum
pronunciation
How to pronounce tantalum in British English:
UK [ˈtæntələm]
How to pronounce tantalum in American English:
US [ˈtæntələm]
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- Noun:
- a hard gray lustrous metallic element that is highly corrosion-resistant; occurs in niobite and fergusonite and tantalite
Word Origin
- tantalum (n.)
- metallic element, 1809, Modern Latin, named 1802 by its discoverer, Swedish chemist Anders Ekberg (1767-1813), for Tantalus, according to Ekberg partly because of its inability to absorb acid recalled Tantalus' punishment in the afterlife (see tantalize). Sometimes it is said to be so called from the difficulty scientists faced in obtaining a pure specimen.
Example
- 1. Tantalum is a rare element in high demand .
- 2. A little bit of tantalum holds a lot of electrical charge . "
- 3. Tantalum is an ingredient of the best electronic capacitors .
- 4. Titanium and tantalum are not so obliging .
- 5. It was just a garden variety platinum nucleus pretending to be a monopole by cleverly decaying into osmium and tantalum .