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erbium

[ur-bee-uhm]

noun

Chemistry.
  1. a rare-earth metallic element, having pink salts. Er; 167.26; 68.



erbium

/ ˈɜːbɪəm /

noun

  1. a soft malleable silvery-white element of the lanthanide series of metals: used in special alloys, room-temperature lasers, and as a pigment. Symbol: Er; atomic no: 68; atomic wt: 167.26; valency: 3; relative density: 9.006; melting pt: 1529°C; boiling pt: 2868°C

“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

erbium

  1. A soft, silvery, metallic element of the lanthanide series. It is used as a neutron absorber in nuclear technology and in light amplification for fiber-optic telecommunications. Atomic number 68; atomic weight 167.26; melting point 1,497°C; boiling point 2,900°C; specific gravity 9.051; valence 3.

  2. See Periodic Table

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Word History and Origins

Origin of erbium1

1835–45; < New Latin, named after Ytterby, Sweden, where first found; -ium
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Word History and Origins

Origin of erbium1

C19: from New Latin, from ( Ytt ) erb ( y ), Sweden, where it was first found + -ium
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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.

Researchers in Australia and China have created such devices with erbium crystals, storing quantum states for several hours.

Read more on Science Magazine

The 17 elements are: lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, scandium, yttrium.

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The BECs produced for the three current experiments use atoms, such as erbium or dysprosium, that have strong permanent magnetic dipole moments.

Read more on Nature

Rare earth metals are a group of 17 elements - lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, scandium, yttrium - that appear in low concentrations in the ground.

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Other elements are less familiar—hafnium, erbium, dyprosium and praseodymium, say, which we do not much bump into in everyday life.

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