terbium

[ tur-bee-uhm ]

nounChemistry.

a rare-earth, metallic element present in certain minerals and yielding colorless salts. Symbol: Tb; atomic number: 65; atomic weight: 158.924; specific gravity: 8.25.

Origin of terbium

1835–45; (Yt)terb(y), name of Swedish town where found + -ium. See ytterbium

Other words from terbium

terbic, adjective

Words Nearby terbium

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use terbium in a sentence

Erbium, a rare metal found along with yttrium, terbium, and other rare elements in some rare minerals.
The New Gresham Encyclopedia | Various
terbium, ter′bi-um, n. a rare metal found in certain yttrium minerals.
Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) | Various
(c.) Yttria (YO) occurs only in a few rare minerals, and usually in company with terbium and erbium.
A System of Instruction in the Practical Use of the Blowpipe | Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for terbium

terbium

/ (ˈtɜːbɪəm) /

noun

a soft malleable silvery-grey element of the lanthanide series of metals, occurring in gadolinite and monazite and used in lasers and for doping solid-state devices. Symbol: Tb; atomic no: 65; atomic wt: 158.92534; valency: 3 or 4; relative density: 8.230; melting pt: 1356°C; boiling pt: 3230°C

Origin of terbium

C19: from New Latin, named after Ytterby, Sweden, village where it was discovered

Derived forms of terbium

terbic, adjective

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

Scientific definitions for terbium

terbium

[ tûr′bē-əm ]

A soft, silvery-gray metallic element of the lanthanide series. It is used in color television tubes, x-ray machines, and lasers. Atomic number 65; atomic weight 158.925; melting point 1,356°C; boiling point 3,123°C; specific gravity 8.229; valence 3, 4. See Periodic Table.

Browse