cerium
Americannoun
noun
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A shiny, gray metallic element of the lanthanide series. It is ductile and malleable and is used in electronic components, alloys, and lighter flints. It is also used in glass polishing, as a catalyst in self-cleaning ovens, and in various nuclear applications. Atomic number 58; atomic weight 140.12; melting point 795°C; boiling point 3,468°C; specific gravity 6.67 to 8.23; valence 3, 4.
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See Periodic Table
Etymology
Origin of cerium
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It condensed much later than the other elements, and when it remained at high temperatures for longer periods, it mixed far more extensively with uranium and cerium.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 3, 2026
Valor has designed reusable ligands for 10 elements, including gold, copper, platinum, nickel and a number of otherwise difficult-to-isolate rare earths, including cerium, dysprosium and yttrium.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026
Europium is crucial for television screens, cerium is used for polishing glass and refining oil, lanthanum makes a car's catalytic converters operate -- the list of uses in today's economy is virtually endless.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2025
"The objective of the liquid separation unit will be to purify cerium on one side, lanthanum on the other side," explains production manager Florian Gouneau as we walk up a flight of metal stairs.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2025
It tarnishes more easily and inflames less easily than cerium.
From The Galaxy, Volume 23, No. 2, February, 1877 by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
