Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for vanadium. Search instead for Ranad Thum.

vanadium

American  
[vuh-ney-dee-uhm] / vəˈneɪ di əm /

noun

Chemistry.
  1. a rare element occurring in certain minerals and obtained as a light-gray powder with a silvery luster or as a ductile metal: used as an ingredient of steel to toughen it and increase its shock resistance. V; 50.942; 23; 5.96.


vanadium British  
/ vəˈneɪdɪəm /

noun

  1. a toxic silvery-white metallic element occurring chiefly in carnotite and vanadinite and used in steel alloys, high-speed tools, and as a catalyst. Symbol: V; atomic no: 23; atomic wt: 50.9415; valency: 2–5; relative density: 6.11; melting pt: 1910±10°C; boiling pt: 3409°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

vanadium Scientific  
/ və-nādē-əm /
  1. A soft, bright-white metallic element that occurs naturally in several minerals. It has good structural strength and is used especially to make strong varieties of steel. Atomic number 23; atomic weight 50.942; melting point 1,890°C; boiling point 3,000°C; specific gravity 6.11; valence 2, 3, 4, 5.

  2. See Periodic Table


Etymology

Origin of vanadium

< New Latin (1830) < Icelandic Vanad ( ís ) epithet of Freya ( Vana, genitive of Vanir Vanir + dís goddess) + New Latin -ium -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.

See Examples For:

But they are expensive and typically use a metallic element - vanadium - that is only produced in a few places round the world.

From BBC Jul. 20, 2026

Ionic MT said it discovered high grades of 16 different types of minerals, everything from lithium to alumina, germanium, rubidium, cesium, vanadium and niobium at the site in Utah’s Silicon Ridge.

From The Wall Street Journal Dec. 11, 2025

The EPA does not currently classify vanadium as a carcinogen, but other health groups have said it could cause lung cancer based on evidence from animal trials.

From Los Angeles Times May 4, 2025

Kombu is also an unassuming health boost; as noted by Dr. Josh Axe with Dr. Axe, it "offers tons of minerals, such as calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, vanadium and zinc."

From Salon May 14, 2024

Through its commercial control of the Peruvian deposits, the United States dominates the world's vanadium situation.

From The Economic Aspect of Geology by C. K. (Charles Kenneth) Leith

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember new words for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com