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lithium

American  
[lith-ee-uhm] / ˈlɪθ i əm /

noun

  1. Chemistry. a soft, silver-white metallic element, the lightest of all metals, occurring combined in certain minerals. Li; 6.939; 3; 0.53 at 20°C.

  2. Pharmacology. the substance in its carbonate or citrate form used in the treatment or prophylaxis of bipolar disorder or mania.


lithium British  
/ ˈlɪθɪəm /

noun

  1. a soft silvery element of the alkali metal series: the lightest known metal, used as an alloy hardener, as a reducing agent, and in batteries. Symbol: Li; atomic no: 3; atomic wt: 6.941; valency: 1; relative density: 0.534; melting pt: 180.6°C; boiling pt: 1342°C

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

lithium Scientific  
/ lĭthē-əm /
  1. A soft, silvery metallic element of the alkali group that occurs in small amounts in some minerals. It is the lightest of all metals and is highly reactive. Lithium is used to make alloys, batteries, glass for large telescopes, and ceramics. Atomic number 3; atomic weight 6.941; melting point 179°C; boiling point 1,317°C; specific gravity 0.534; valence 1.

  2. See Periodic Table


Etymology

Origin of lithium

From New Latin, dating back to 1810–20; lith-, -ium

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.

Copper, of which Chile is the world's leading producer, accounts for about 10 percent of GDP while the country is also the world's second-largest producer of lithium behind Australia.

From Barron's

The group’s goal is to help the U.S. and allied nations secure sources and supply chains for critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, manganese, uranium and copper.

From The Wall Street Journal

Zimbabwe has some of Africa's largest lithium reserves, as well as chromium, cobalt and rare earth minerals.

From BBC

Rio Tinto lined up nearly $1.2 billion to finance the development of a lithium project in Argentina, supporting its growth pipeline for the key ingredient in battery storage and electric vehicles.

From The Wall Street Journal

Find insight on lithium prices and more in the latest Market Talks covering basic materials.

From The Wall Street Journal