terbium

[tur-bee-uhm]

noun

Chemistry.

1. a rare-earth, metallic element present in certain minerals and yielding colorless salts. Tb; 65; 158.924; 8.25.

terbium

/ ˈtɜːbɪəm /

noun

1. a soft malleable silvery-grey element of the lanthanide series of metals, occurring in gadolinite and monazite and used in lasers and for doping solid-state devices. Symbol: Tb; atomic no: 65; atomic wt: 158.92534; valency: 3 or 4; relative density: 8.230; melting pt: 1356°C; boiling pt: 3230°C

terbium

1. A soft, silvery-gray metallic element of the lanthanide series. It is used in color television tubes, x-ray machines, and lasers. Atomic number 65; atomic weight 158.925; melting point 1,356°C; boiling point 3,123°C; specific gravity 8.229; valence 3, 4.

2. See Periodic Table

Other Word Forms

• terbic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of terbium¹

1835–45; (Yt)terb(y) , name of Swedish town where found + -ium. See ytterbium

Word History and Origins

Origin of terbium¹

C19: from New Latin, named after Ytterby, Sweden, village where it was discovered

Example Sentences

It just so happens the byproducts of these mineral sands include dysprosium and terbium - some of the most sought-after rare earths.

From BBC

Rare earths, like samarium and terbium, are critical to the production of technologies set to shape the world in the coming decades – including electric vehicles and highly advanced weapons systems.

From BBC

Using the well-known terbium titanate as an example, the team demonstrated that the method delivers highly reliable results.

From Science Daily

Within the matrix of the crystal, only a few of the terbium ions form pairs.

From Science Daily

The 17 elements are: lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, scandium, yttrium.

From Reuters