dysprosium

American  

[dis-proh-see-uhm, -shee-] / dɪsˈproʊ si əm, -ʃi- /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a rare-earth metallic element, highly reactive and paramagnetic, found in small amounts in various rare-earth minerals, as euxenite and monazite: used to absorb neutrons in nuclear reactors. Dy; 162.50; 66.

---

dysprosium British  

/ dɪsˈprəʊsɪəm /

noun

1. a soft silvery-white metallic element of the lanthanide series: used in laser materials and as a neutron absorber in nuclear control rods. Symbol: Dy; atomic no: 66; atomic wt: 162.50; valency: 3; relative density: 8.551; melting pt: 1412°C; boiling pt: 2567°C

---

dysprosium Scientific  

/ dĭs-prō′zē-əm /

1. A soft, silvery metallic element of the lanthanide series. Because it has a high melting point and absorbs neutrons well, dysprosium is used to help control nuclear reactions. Atomic number 66; atomic weight 162.50; melting point 1,407°C; boiling point 2,600°C; specific gravity 8.536; valence 3.

2. See Periodic Table

---

Etymology

Origin of dysprosium

1885–90; < New Latin < Greek dysprós ( itos ) hard to get at ( dys- dys- + pros- to + itós, past participle of iénai to go) + -ium

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dysprosium

Geological Survey geologists first identified rare earth mineralization in the Music Valley area in 1954, with sampling reporting enrichment in dysprosium, terbium, yttrium and ytterbium, Dateline Resources said in a press release.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 2026

Valor has designed reusable ligands for 10 elements, including gold, copper, platinum, nickel and a number of otherwise difficult-to-isolate rare earths, including cerium, dysprosium and yttrium.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026

Samsara Eco plans to focus initially on rare earths such as neodymium and dysprosium, which are used as alloys in magnets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 2026

So, it has surpluses of lighter rare earths such as neodymium, but lacks extractable quantities of heavier elements like dysprosium and terbium, which are critical for many high-performance magnets.

From BBC ● Jan. 15, 2026

The rugged hills surrounding Ganzhou are home to the world's largest mining and processing operations of the strategic "heavy" elements, including dysprosium, yttrium and terbium.

From Barron's ● Dec. 21, 2025