antimony

[ an-tuh-moh-nee ]

nounChemistry.
  1. 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

1
1375–1425; late Middle English antimonie<Medieval Latin antimōnium, perhaps <dialectal Arabic uthmud

Other words from antimony

  • an·ti·mo·ni·al, adjective, noun

Words Nearby antimony

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use antimony in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for antimony

antimony

/ (ˈæntɪmənɪ) /


noun
  1. 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

Origin of antimony

1
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

Scientific definitions for antimony

antimony

[ ăntə-mō′nē ]


Sb
  1. 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.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.