potassium
Americannoun
noun
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A soft, highly reactive, silvery-white metallic element of the alkali group occurring in nature only in compounds. It is essential for the growth of plants and is used especially in fertilizers and soaps. Atomic number 19; atomic weight 39.098; melting point 63.65°C; boiling point 774°C; specific gravity 0.862; valence 1.
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See Periodic Table
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of potassium
From New Latin, dating back to 1800–10; see origin at potassa, -ium
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Vocabulary lists containing potassium
Nutrition - Middle School
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Nutrition - High School
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Nutrition and Digestion - High School
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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.
They are generally made of glass, which is chemically reinforced by adding potassium to it.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Chinese producers use American sulfur to manufacture phosphate fertilizers, which supply phosphorus—one of the three primary plant nutrients along with nitrogen and potassium.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
"Salt particles -- specifically sodium chloride and potassium chloride -- are most often used" as cloud-seeding agents, said Adnan Yarmohammed, one of the Emirati officials in charge of sharing his country's experience.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
FA reduced the rise in intracellular calcium caused by potassium chloride.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 30, 2026
“Potassium nitrate. KNO3. The same as potassium chlorate except it has a nitrogen atom instead of a chlorine one.”
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
