bismuth

American  

[biz-muhth] / ˈbɪz məθ /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a brittle, grayish-white, red-tinged, metallic element used in the manufacture of fusible alloys and in medicine. Bi; 208.980; 83.

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bismuth British  

/ ˈbɪzməθəl, ˈbɪzməθ /

noun

1. a brittle pinkish-white crystalline metallic element having low thermal and electrical conductivity, which expands on cooling. It is widely used in alloys, esp low-melting alloys in fire safety devices; its compounds are used in medicines. Symbol: Bi; atomic no: 83; atomic wt: 208.98037; valency: 3 or 5; relative density: 9.747; melting pt: 271.4°C; boiling pt: 1564±5°C

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bismuth Scientific  

/ bĭz′məth /

1. A brittle, pinkish-white, crystalline metallic element that occurs in nature as a free metal and in various ores. Bismuth is the most strongly diamagnetic element and has the highest atomic number of all stable elements. It is used to make low-melting alloys for fire-safety devices. Atomic number 83; atomic weight 208.98; melting point 271.3°C; boiling point 1,560°C; specific gravity 9.747; valence 3, 5.

2. See Periodic Table

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Other Word Forms

• bismuthal
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of bismuth

1660–70; earlier bismutum < New Latin bisemūtum, Latinized form of German Wissmuth (now Wismut ) < ?

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bismuth

On Feb. 4, 2025, Beijing issued Announcement No. 10, putting tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, molybdenum and indium-related items under export licensing.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026

In addition, because the researchers used bismuth in the proof-of-concept work, they were able to make structures that are photo-responsive.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 2, 2024

The bismuth sheets the team made are only a few nanometers thick.

From Science Daily ● May 21, 2024

A: Bismuth subsalicylate, the active ingredient in Pepto Bismol, can react with the sulfur in your mouth to form bismuth sulfide.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 24, 2024

In this pulverulent state the gold is mixed with 1⁄12th of its weight of oxide of bismuth, together with a small quantity of borax and gum water.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 1 "Gichtel, Johann" to "Glory" by Various