ruthenium
Americannoun
noun
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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.
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See Periodic Table
Etymology
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
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.
"This suggests that bulk and ultrathin ruthenium dioxide, under the right conditions, may have distinctly different magnetic properties."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026
In particular, the electron structure of the ultrathin ruthenium dioxide had to experience lattice strain, which places pressure on the material's atomic structure.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026
By keeping the ruthenium atoms isolated, the design can deliver strong catalytic performance while requiring only very small amounts of metal, improving efficiency compared with conventional systems.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
The catalyst contains individual ruthenium atoms embedded within a nitrogen-doped carbon material.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
We have the names in one of the tables arranged in two columns, representing, as you see, two groups—platinum, iridium, and osmium constituting one group; and ruthenium, rhodium, and palladium the other.
From The Chemical History of a Candle by Sir William Crookes
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.
