chromium

[ kroh-mee-uhm ]

/ ˈkroʊ mi əm /

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noun

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. Symbol: Cr; atomic weight: 51.996; atomic number: 24; specific gravity: 7.1.

chrome (def. 2).

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Origin of chromium

First recorded in 1800–10; chrome + -ium

Words nearby chromium

chromic chloride, chromic fluoride, chromic oxide, chrominance, chromite, chromium, chromium 51, chromium dioxide, chromium steel, chromo, chromocenter

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use chromium in a sentence

In rubies, the chromium atoms are positioned close oxygen atoms.
How minerals and rocks reflect rainbows, glow in the dark, and otherwise blow your mind|Lauren Leffer|June 28, 2021|Popular-Science
For instance, a ruby gets its brilliant red color by swapping a little bit of chromium for aluminum in its formula.
How minerals and rocks reflect rainbows, glow in the dark, and otherwise blow your mind|Lauren Leffer|June 28, 2021|Popular-Science
Dupree recently tested his drinking well, finding levels of hexavalent chromium above the health standards set by California and North Carolina.
The Coal Plant Next Door|by Max Blau for Georgia Health News|March 22, 2021|ProPublica
Starting in 2016, the Altamaha Riverkeeper began testing private wells for contaminants commonly found in coal ash, including hexavalent chromium, a trace metal associated with an increased risk of cancer.
The Coal Plant Next Door|by Max Blau for Georgia Health News|March 22, 2021|ProPublica

The wells closer to Scherer’s ash ponds — including along Luther Smith Road — generally had levels of hexavalent chromium higher than those farther away.
The Coal Plant Next Door|by Max Blau for Georgia Health News|March 22, 2021|ProPublica
Unlike metals like iron, which rusts and corrodes dramatically, chromium remains stable after oxidation and subsequent burial.
Why Did It Take So Long For Complex Life To Evolve On Earth? Blame Oxygen.|Matthew R. Francis|November 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The coal ash deposits have heavy concentrations of hexavalent chromium, a carcinogen.
Chris Hedges and Joe Sacco Chronicle Mining Catastrophes in West Virginia|Chris Hedges, Joe Sacco|June 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST
RockMelt is built on open-source code—the Chromium software created by Google and used for its own Chrome browser.
Inside the Secret New Internet Browser|David Kirkpatrick|November 7, 2010|DAILY BEAST
A similar result is obtained when the solution of a chromium salt is treated with a solution of ammonium sulphide.
The Elements of Qualitative Chemical Analysis, vol. 1, parts 1 and 2.|Julius Stieglitz
Any chromium present will now be in solution in the easily recognised form of potassic chromate (see “Chromium”).
Poisons: Their Effects and Detection|Alexander Wynter Blyth
Just at that moment a big blue sports roadster pushed a bright chromium nose around the corner of the house.
"And That's How It Was, Officer"|Ralph Sholto
A small beaded screen had been pulled down from the ceiling, facing two chromium-and-leather lounge chairs.
The Five Arrows|Allan Chase
Hydrated chromium sesquioxide is another mineral emerald green.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia|Various

British Dictionary definitions for chromium

chromium

/ (ˈkrəʊmɪəm) /

noun

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

Word Origin for chromium

C19: from New Latin, from French: chrome

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 chromium

chromium

[ krō′mē-əm ]

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. See Periodic Table.