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chromium

[kroh-mee-uh m]
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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. Symbol: Cr; atomic weight: 51.996; atomic number: 24; specific gravity: 7.1.
  2. chrome(def 2).
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Origin of chromium

First recorded in 1800–10; chrome + -ium
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

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British Dictionary definitions for chromium

chromium

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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Word Origin

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

Word Origin and History for chromium

n.

metallic element, 1807, with metallic elemental suffix -ium + French chrome (Fourcroy and Haüy), from Greek chroma "color" (see chrome; also see chroma). So called for its colorful compounds. Related: Chromite.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
chromium in Medicine

chromium

(krō′mē-əm)
n. Symbol Cr
  1. A lustrous hard metallic element, resistant to tarnish and corrosion and found primarily in chromite. It is used to harden steel alloys, in decorative platings, and as a pigment in glass. Atomic number 24.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
chromium in Science

chromium

[krō′mē-əm]
Cr
  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. See Periodic Table.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.