antimony

[an-tuh-moh-nee]

noun Chemistry.

a brittle, lustrous, white metallic element occurring in nature free or combined, used chiefly in alloys and in compounds in medicine. Symbol: Sb; atomic number: 51; atomic weight: 121.75.

Origin of antimony

1375–1425; late Middle English antimonie < Medieval Latin antimōnium, perhaps < dialectal Arabic uthmud

Related formsan·ti·mo·ni·al, adjective, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for antimony

Historical Examples of antimony

Or write with a solution of muriate of antimony, and smear the writing over with a feather dipped in a solution of galls.
The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton
They do so even yet, and when antimony was administered there was no doubt about its working.
Old-Time Makers of Medicine
James J. Walsh
Antimony acts as a trivalent element in the formation of a chloride.
An Elementary Study of Chemistry
William McPherson
Antimony is prepared from the sulphide in a very simple manner.
An Elementary Study of Chemistry
William McPherson
The overlaying of silver by antimony is their particular craft.
In Mesopotamia
Martin Swayne

British Dictionary definitions for antimony

antimony

noun

a toxic metallic element that exists in two allotropic forms and occurs principally in stibnite. The stable form is a brittle silvery-white crystalline metal that is added to alloys to increase their strength and hardness and is used in semiconductors. Symbol: Sb; atomic no: 51; atomic wt: 121.757; valency: 0, –3, +3, or +5; relative density: 6.691; melting pt: 630.76°C; boiling pt: 1587°C

Word Origin for antimony

C15: from Medieval Latin antimōnium, of uncertain origin

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

Word Origin and History for antimony

brittle metallic element, early 15c., from Old French antimoine and directly from Medieval Latin antimonium, an alchemist's term (used 11c. by Constantinus Africanus), origin obscure, probably a Latinization of Greek stimmi "powdered antimony, black antimony" (a cosmetic used to paint the eyelids), from some Arabic word (cf. al 'othmud), unless the Arabic word is from the Greek or the Latin is from Arabic; probably ultimately from Egyptian stm "powdered antimony." In French folk etymology, anti-moine "monk's bane" (from moine).

As the name of a pure element, it is attested in English from 1788. Its chemical symbol Sb is for Stibium, the Latin name for "black antimony," which word was used also in English for "black antimony."

antimony in Medicine

antimony

[ăn′tə-mō′nē]

n. Symbol Sb

A toxic metallic element, compounds of which are used as anthelmintics, especially in the treatment of schistosomiasis. Atomic number 51.

antimony in Science

antimony

[ăn′tə-mō′nē]

Sb

A metalloid element having many forms, the most common of which is a hard, very brittle, shiny, blue-white crystal. It is used in a wide variety of alloys, especially with lead in car batteries, and in the manufacture of flameproofing compounds. Atomic number 51; atomic weight 121.76; melting point 630.5°C (1,167°F); boiling point 1,380°C (2,516°F); specific gravity 6.691; valence 3, 5. See Periodic Table.