calcium
a silver-white divalent metal, occurring combined in limestone, chalk, gypsum, etc., occurring also in vertebrates and other animals, as a component of bone, skeletal mass, shell, etc., and as a necessary element in nerve conduction, heartbeat, muscle contraction, and many other physiological functions. Symbol: Ca; atomic weight: 40.08; atomic number: 20; specific gravity: 1.55 at 20°C.
Origin of calcium
1Words Nearby calcium
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use calcium in a sentence
Inside that hunk of cheddar, calcium binds long protein strands called caseins into a type of web, and water and fat molecules occupy the space between those interconnected threads.
Scientific tips for making perfect nacho cheese | Sandra Gutierrez G. | February 4, 2021 | Popular-ScienceAccording to the project’s website, calcium carbonate has “near-ideal optical properties.”
Scientists Want to Fight Climate Change by Blocking the Sun With Dust | Vanessa Bates Ramirez | January 28, 2021 | Singularity HubNutritionally, roots have a lot to offer, too, with carrots particularly high in vitamin A, and others rich in vitamin C, potassium, fiber, calcium and magnesium, to mention a few highlights.
Hearty winter vegetables are at the root of this red wine chicken stew | Ellie Krieger | January 21, 2021 | Washington PostThat DNA contained instructions to make a protein that would glow when calcium levels surged inside the cell — a technique called calcium imaging.
A taste map in the brain is a scattering of tiny flavor islands | Bethany Brookshire | January 5, 2021 | Science News For StudentsThe females use that calcium to form the hard shells of their eggs.
I take calcium and vitamin D supplements, but prescription medications are generally only for women in menopause.
Fat-free or skim milkEveryone knows milk is an excellent source of calcium that will keep your bones in tip-top shape.
Feel good about using cottage cheese as a dip because it delivers calcium, quality protein and potassium.
6 Ways to Avoid ‘Sochi Gut’ While Watching the Olympics | Jenna A. Bell | February 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe rhino beetle—fried, stewed, grilled, or roasted—is high in calcium and protein.
Cicadas, Grasshoppers, Locusts, Ants Among the Tastiest Insects | Nina Strochlic | May 14, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTExcess calcium causing zinc and iron deficiency offers just one simple illustration of this kind of interaction.
Crystals of calcium oxalate are insoluble in acetic acid or caustic soda.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddThe long axis of the hip-roof crystal is often so shortened that it resembles the envelop crystal of calcium oxalate.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddThe usual forms are: (a) Ammoniomagnesium phosphate crystals; (b) acid calcium phosphate crystals; and (c) amorphous phosphates.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddCharacteristic octahedral crystals of calcium oxalate (Fig. 47) appear after ingestion of certain vegetables.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddThe lights were lowered, a single calcium playing with its soft and silvery rays upon his face and shoulders.
The Fifth String | John Philip Sousa
British Dictionary definitions for calcium
/ (ˈkælsɪəm) /
a malleable silvery-white metallic element of the alkaline earth group; the fifth most abundant element in the earth's crust (3.6 per cent), occurring esp as forms of calcium carbonate. It is an essential constituent of bones and teeth and is used as a deoxidizer in steel. Symbol: Ca; atomic no: 20; atomic wt: 40.078; valency: 2; relative density: 1.55; melting pt: 842±2°C; boiling pt: 1494°C
Origin of calcium
1Collins 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 calcium
[ kăl′sē-əm ]
A silvery-white, moderately hard metallic element of the alkaline-earth group that occurs in limestone and gypsum. It is a basic component of leaves, bones, teeth, and shells, and is essential for the normal growth and development of most animals and plants. Calcium is used to make plaster, cement, and alloys. Atomic number 20; atomic weight 40.08; melting point 842 to 848°C; boiling point 1,487°C; specific gravity 1.55; valence 2. See Periodic Table.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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