scandium
Americannoun
noun
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A soft, silvery, very lightweight metallic element that is found in various rare minerals and is a byproduct in the processing of certain uranium ores. It has a high melting point and is used to make high-intensity lights. Atomic number 21; atomic weight 44.956; melting point 1,540°C; boiling point 2,850°C; specific gravity 2.99; valence 3.
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See Periodic Table
Etymology
Origin of scandium
From New Latin, dating back to 1875–80; see origin at Scandia, -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.
With important electrical and magnetic qualities, rare earths consist of 17 elements in the lanthanide group of the periodic table, plus scandium and yytrium.
From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026
Rubidium and cesium, which are used for atomic clocks, can be found at the Utah site, along with scandium, which is essential for the aerospace industry.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025
The region holds deposits of many of the very elements China has placed under export controls: yttrium, scandium, erbium, europium, ytterbium, samarium, and lutetium.
From Barron's • Oct. 24, 2025
In August, NioCorp subsidiary Elk Creek Resources Corp. was awarded a $10 million grant from the Pentagon to help establish what the company describes as the first domestic scandium mine-to-master alloy supply chain.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 20, 2025
The A funnel of vanadium repeats the A funnel of scandium, with the addition of d 20, already studied.
From Occult Chemistry Clairvoyant Observations on the Chemical Elements by Sinnett, A. P.
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.
