aluminum

American

[uh-loo-muh-nuhm] / əˈlu mə nəm /

British, aluminium

noun

Chemistry. a silver-white metallic element, light in weight, ductile, malleable, and not readily corroded or tarnished, occurring combined in nature in igneous rock, shale, clay, and most soil: used in alloys and for lightweight utensils, castings, airplane parts, etc. alum.; Al; 26.98; 13; 2.70 at 20°C.

adjective

of, relating to, or containing aluminum.

an aluminum frying pan.

aluminum Scientific

/ ə-lo̅o̅′mə-nəm /

Symbol Al A lightweight, silvery-white metallic element that is ductile, is found chiefly in bauxite, and is a good conductor of electricity. It is the most abundant metal in the Earth's crust and is used to make a wide variety of products from soda cans to airplane components. Atomic number 13; atomic weight 26.9815; melting point 660.3°C (1,220.5°F); boiling point 2,519°C; specific gravity 2.70; valence 3.
See Periodic Table

Other Word Forms

aluminic adjective

Etymology

Origin of aluminum

1812; from New Latin; aluminum was an alteration, by Humphry Davy, of alumium, which was first proposed; the chiefly British variant aluminium was formed after other metals in -ium. See alumina, -ium

Compare meaning

How does aluminum compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

alumina vs. aluminum

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The father of a friend of mine, who owned a franchise for a company that sold aluminum awnings, qualified as a borax man.

From The Wall Street Journal

A 10% tariff on global imports went into effect in April, while much higher rates on major trading partners and important products like steel and aluminum kicked in over the course of months.

From The Wall Street Journal

This doesn’t count the job losses in downstream manufacturing firms that use steel and aluminum.

From The Wall Street Journal

Hefty U.S. tariffs of up to 50% on key sectors such as steel, aluminum and automobiles are weighing on the domestic manufacturing sector, Macklem said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Brimstone, a startup that produces aluminum, magnesium and other minerals, is playing a role.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023