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.
Their calculations suggested that ruthenium dioxide should have no overall magnetization, much like an antiferromagnet.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 2026
During similar experiments involving ruthenium, however, the researchers found that the reactions unexpectedly produced standard 18 electron products instead.
From Science Daily ● May 22, 2026
By adjusting the ligands and ions arranged around the ruthenium molecules, they demonstrated that a single device can display many different dynamic responses.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 3, 2026
The researchers synthesized 17 carefully designed ruthenium complexes and studied how small changes in molecular shape and the surrounding ionic environment influence electron behavior.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 3, 2026
The next sub-group, ruthenium, rhodium, and palladium, has nothing to detain us.
From Occult Chemistry Clairvoyant Observations on the Chemical Elements by A. P. Sinnett
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.
