vanadium

American  

[vuh-nay-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.

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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

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vanadium Scientific  

/ və-nā′dē-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

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Etymology

Origin of vanadium

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vanadium

Other versions instead use vanadium or only iron.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026

The liquids usually contain the metallic element vanadium.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

It used a strong, lightweight vanadium steel alloy to improve durability and featured a high ground clearance engineered to navigate dirt roads.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

The most commercially mature flow batteries are based on vanadium ions, which, like lithium, are expensive and hard to source.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 22, 2024

The patronite has altered at the surface to red and brown hydrated vanadium oxides.

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

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