tellurium

American  

[te-loor-ee-uhm] / tɛˈlʊər i əm /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a rare, lustrous, brittle, crystalline, silver-white element resembling sulfur in its properties, and usually occurring in nature combined with gold, silver, or other metals of high atomic weight: used in the manufacture of alloys and as a coloring agent in glass and ceramics. Te; 127.60; 52; 6.24.

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tellurium British  

/ tɛˈlʊərɪəm /

noun

1. a brittle silvery-white nonmetallic element occurring both uncombined and in combination with metals: used in alloys of lead and copper and as a semiconductor. Symbol: Te; atomic no: 52; atomic wt: 127.60; valency: 2, 4, or 6; relative density: 6.24; melting pt: 449.57±0.3°C; boiling pt: 988°C

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tellurium Scientific  

/ tĕ-lr′ē-əm /

1. A metalloid element that occurs as either a brittle, shiny, silvery-white crystal or a gray or brown powder. Small amounts of tellurium are used to improve the alloys of various metals. Atomic number 52; atomic weight 127.60; melting point 449.5°C; boiling point 989.8°C; specific gravity 6.24; valence 2, 4, 6.

2. See Periodic Table

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Etymology

Origin of tellurium

< New Latin (1798), equivalent to Latin tellūr- (stem of tellūs ) earth + -ium

Example Sentences

Tellurium forms crystals that contain infinite spiral chains of tellurium atoms.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

Tellurium occurs in nature, native, and in combination with gold, silver, bismuth and lead.

From A Text-book of Assaying: For the Use of Those Connected with Mines. by Beringer, Cornelius

Billy sat on Tellurium and gazed with rapt wonder at the scene which stretched out below.

From Wunpost by Coolidge, Dane

For on Thursdays the stage arrived from Tellurium, bringing the mail and, now and then, a passenger, and always a whiff of the outside world.

From The Heart of Thunder Mountain by Fischer, Anton Otto

So she followed along behind them, leading Tellurium by his rope, and entered her city of dreams unnoticed.

From Wunpost by Coolidge, Dane