chromium

American  

[kroh-mee-uhm] / ˈkroʊ mi əm /

noun

1. a lustrous, hard, brittle, metallic element used in alloy steels for hardness and corrosion resistance, as in stainless steel, and for plating other metals: chromium salts are used as pigments and mordants. Cr; 51.996; 24; 7.1.

2. chrome.

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chromium British  

/ ˈkrəʊmɪəm /

noun

1. a hard grey metallic element that takes a high polish, occurring principally in chromite: used in steel alloys and electroplating to increase hardness and corrosion-resistance. Symbol: Cr; atomic no: 24; atomic wt: 51.9961; valency: 2, 3, or 6; relative density: 7.18–7.20; melting pt: 1863±20°C; boiling pt: 2672°C

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chromium Scientific  

/ krō′mē-əm /

1. A hard, shiny, steel-gray metallic element that is rust-resistant and does not tarnish easily. It is used to plate other metals, to harden steel, and to make stainless steel and other alloys. Atomic number 24; atomic weight 51.996; melting point 1,890°C; boiling point 2,482°C; specific gravity 7.18; valence 2, 3, 6.

2. See Periodic Table

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Etymology

Origin of chromium

First recorded in 1800–10; chrome + -ium

Example Sentences

Ehrlich accepted the bet and chose copper, chromium, tin, nickel and tungsten.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Zimbabwe has some of Africa's largest lithium reserves, as well as chromium, cobalt and rare earth minerals.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

The continent is loaded with copper, chromium, lithium and rare earths.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 16, 2025

Elevated amounts of lead, chromium, and antimony were also detected.

From Science Daily • Nov. 28, 2025

Over it, in a gleaming chromium frame, was a big square of parchment—a poem.

From "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie