titanium dioxide

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. a white, water-insoluble powder, TiO 2 , used chiefly in white pigments, plastics, ceramics, and for delustering synthetic fibers.

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titanium dioxide British  

noun

1. Also called: titanium oxide.   titanic oxide.   titania.  a white insoluble powder occurring naturally as rutile and used chiefly as a pigment of high covering power and durability. Formula: TiO 2

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titanium dioxide Scientific  

1. A white powder used as an opaque white pigment. It occurs naturally as the mineral rutile. Chemical formula: TiO ₂ .

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Etymology

Origin of titanium dioxide

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

They include companies like Chemours and Tronox, which make titanium dioxide, a pigment used in paint and wallpaper, and Celanese, which produces acetic acid, a key ingredient in many industrial products.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

The second sees around 90% of its ore volume used for titanium dioxide , crucial for construction, automotive and consumer applications.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 12, 2026

Slowing sales of titanium dioxide, a key component of white paint, drove light earnings.

From Barron's • Nov. 7, 2025

The candymaker announced in late May that it would no longer use titanium dioxide, a potentially carcinogenic additive that was banned in the European Union in 2022, to make Skittles in the U.S.

From Salon • Jul. 23, 2025

Titanium, tī-tā′ni-um, n. a comparatively rare metal, occurring as a gray heavy iron-like powder, burning with brilliant scintillations in the air, forming titanium dioxide and nitride.—adjs.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various