neodymium

American  

[nee-oh-dim-ee-uhm] / ˌni oʊˈdɪm i əm /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a rare-earth, metallic, trivalent element occurring with cerium and other rare-earth metals, and having rose-colored to violet-colored salts. Nd; 144.24; 60; 6.9 at 20°C.

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neodymium British  

/ ˌniːəʊˈdɪmɪəm /

noun

1. a toxic silvery-white metallic element of the lanthanide series, occurring principally in monazite: used in colouring glass. Symbol: Nd; atomic no: 60; atomic wt: 144.24; valency: 3; relative density: 6.80 and 7.00 (depending on allotrope); melting pt: 1024°C; boiling pt: 3127°C

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neodymium Scientific  

/ nē′ō-dĭm′ē-əm /

1. A shiny, silvery metallic element of the lanthanide series. It is used to make glass for welders' goggles and purple glass for lasers. Atomic number 60; atomic weight 144.24; melting point 1,024°C; boiling point 3,027°C; specific gravity 6.80 or 7.004 (depending on allotropic form); valence 3.

2. See Periodic Table

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Etymology

Origin of neodymium

From New Latin, dating back to 1880–85; see origin at neo-, didymium

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

neodymium

Under the right conditions, neodymium and dioxygen formed pi interactions that had previously been considered unlikely.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026

In a study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Hernández Sánchez and his colleagues reported a method that allowed dioxygen to form pi interactions with neodymium, a lanthanide metal.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 29, 2026

Four elements account for most of the sector's economic value: neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium.

From Barron's ● Feb. 4, 2026

China mines three-fifths of the world’s rare earths—metals such as neodymium and dysprosium—and has more than 90% of the capacity for refining them, according to the International Energy Agency.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026

It was formerly supposed to be an element, but has since been found to consist of two simpler elementary substances, neodymium and praseodymium.

From The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary Section D and E by Project Gutenberg