rhenium

[ree-nee-uh m]

noun Chemistry.

a rare metallic element of the manganese subgroup: used, because of its high melting point, in platinum-rhenium thermocouples. Symbol: Re; atomic number: 75; atomic weight: 186.2.

Origin of rhenium

1920–25; < New Latin, equivalent to Latin Rhēn(us) Rhine + -ium -ium

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for rhenium

rhenium

noun

a dense silvery-white metallic element that has a high melting point. It occurs principally in gadolinite and molybdenite and is used, alloyed with tungsten or molybdenum, in high-temperature thermocouples. Symbol: Re; atomic no: 75; atomic wt: 186.207; valency: –1 or 1–7; relative density: 21.02; melting pt: 3186°C; boiling pt: 5596°C (est)

Word Origin for rhenium

C19: New Latin, from Rhēnus the Rhine

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

Word Origin and History for rhenium

1925, Modern Latin, from Latin Rhenus "the river Rhine" (see Rhine) + element ending -ium. Coined by German chemists Walter Noddack and Ida Tacke.

rhenium in Medicine

rhenium

[rē′nē-əm]

n. Symbol Re

A rare dense metallic element with a high melting point, used in plating medical instruments. Atomic number 75.

rhenium in Science

rhenium

[rē′nē-əm]

Re

A very rare, dense, silvery-white metallic element with a very high melting point. It is used to make catalysts and electrical contacts. Atomic number 75; atomic weight 186.2; melting point 3,180°C; boiling point 5,627°C; specific gravity 21.02; valence 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. See Periodic Table.