ruthenium

[ roo-thee-nee-uhm, -theen-yuhm ]

/ ruˈθi ni əm, -ˈθin yəm /

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noun Chemistry.

a steel-gray, rare metallic element, belonging to the platinum group of metals. Symbol: Ru; atomic weight: 101.07; atomic number: 44; specific gravity: 12.2 at 20°C.

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Origin of ruthenium

1840–50; <New Latin, named after Ruthenia (from the fact that it was first found in ore from the region); see -ium

Words nearby ruthenium

Ruth, Babe, Ruthenia, Ruthenian, ruthenic, ruthenious, ruthenium, Rutherford, Rutherford, Ernest, rutherfordium, Rutherford scattering, ruthful

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use ruthenium in a sentence

The lower ovoids in ruthenium are identical in composition, with those of iron, cobalt and nickel and may be studied under Iron.
Occult Chemistry|Annie Besant and Charles W. Leadbeater
The metals of the first of these groups—ruthenium, rhodium, and palladium—have atomic weights near 100 and densities near 12.
An Elementary Study of Chemistry|William McPherson
In Fremys process for separating osmium from the residues of platinum ore, ruthenium occurs in a dioxide.
Cooley's Practical Receipts, Volume II|Arnold Cooley

British Dictionary definitions for ruthenium

ruthenium

/ (ruːˈθiːnɪəm) /

noun

a hard brittle white element of the platinum metal group. It occurs free with other platinum metals in pentlandite and other ores and is used to harden platinum and palladium. Symbol: Ru; atomic no: 44; atomic wt: 101.07; valency: 0–8; relative density: 12.41; melting pt: 2334°C; boiling pt: 4150°C

Word Origin for ruthenium

C19: from Medieval Latin Ruthenia Russia, where it was first discovered

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

Medical definitions for ruthenium

ruthenium

[ rōō-thē′nē-əm ]

n. Symbol Ru

A hard acid-resistant metallic element that is found in platinum ores. Atomic number 44.

Scientific definitions for ruthenium

ruthenium

[ rōō-thē′nē-əm ]

A rare, silvery-gray metallic element that is hard, brittle, and very resistant to corrosion. It is used to harden alloys of platinum and palladium for jewelry and electrical contacts. Atomic number 44; atomic weight 101.07; melting point 2,310°C; boiling point 3,900°C; specific gravity 12.41; valence 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. See Periodic Table.