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tantalum

American

[tan-tl-uhm] / ˈtæn tl əm /

noun

Chemistry.

a gray, hard, rare, metallic element occurring in columbite and tantalite and usually associated with niobium: used, because of its resistance to corrosion by most acids, for chemical, dental, and surgical instruments and apparatus. Ta; 180.948; 73; 16.6.

tantalum British

/ ˈtæntələm /

noun

a hard greyish-white metallic element that occurs with niobium in tantalite and columbite: used in electrical capacitors in most circuit boards and in alloys to increase hardness and chemical resistance, esp in surgical instruments. Symbol: Ta; atomic no: 73; atomic wt: 180.9479; valency: 2, 3, 4, or 5; relative density: 16.654; melting pt: 3020°C; boiling pt: 5458±100°C

"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

tantalum Scientific

/ tăn′tə-ləm /

A hard, heavy, gray metallic element that is highly resistant to corrosion at low temperatures. It is used to make light-bulb filaments, surgical instruments, and glass for camera lenses. Atomic number 73; atomic weight 180.948; melting point 3,017°C; boiling point 5,458°C; specific gravity 16.6; valence 2, 3, 4, 5.
See Periodic Table

Etymology

Origin of tantalum

1795–1805; < New Latin; named after Tantalus

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

tantalum

The US is also negotiating a minerals deal with DR Congo to help gain access to the central African country's vast reserves of key metals such as cobalt, tantalum, lithium and copper.

From BBC ● Apr. 6, 2026

With no local testing or controls of exports, secondary minerals like tantalum, beryl and tin were being shipped out undetected and untaxed.

From Barron's ● Mar. 26, 2026

The company also said it continues to strengthen industrywide supply-chain due diligence, and last year told suppliers to stop obtaining tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold from Congo and neighboring Rwanda.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 8, 2025

Bahrami noted that tantalum stands out because it is extremely durable and can withstand the harsh cleaning used to remove contamination during fabrication.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 17, 2025

There is no tantalum on Mars except a little scattered through tons of rock.

From Giants on the Earth by Meek, S. P. (Sterner St. Paul)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023