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.

---

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

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of chromium

First recorded in 1800–10; chrome + -ium

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chromium

Then, at around ~720 mV, a manganese based layer forms on top of the chromium based layer.

From Science Daily ● May 10, 2026

Concentrations of beryllium, copper, chromium, nickel and lead in particular were significantly above established safety thresholds for marine life, prompting fears for the long-term health of fish, marine mammals and the marine food chain.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 20, 2026

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

They were in the Maycomb Hotel dining room sitting on chromium chairs at a table for two.

From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee