tungsten

American  

[tuhng-stuhn] / ˈtʌŋ stən /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a rare, metallic element having a bright-gray color, a metallic luster, and a high melting point, 3410° C, and found in wolframite, tungstite, and other minerals: used in alloys of high-speed cutting tools, electric-lamp filaments, etc. W; 183.85; 74; 19.3.

---

tungsten British  

/ ˈtʌŋstən /

noun

1. Also called: wolfram.  a hard malleable ductile greyish-white element. It occurs principally in wolframite and scheelite and is used in lamp filaments, electrical contact points, X-ray targets, and, alloyed with steel, in high-speed cutting tools. Symbol: W; atomic no: 74; atomic wt: 183.85; valency: 2–6; relative density: 19.3; melting pt: 3422±20°C; boiling pt: 5555°C

---

tungsten Scientific  

/ tŭng′stən /

1. A hard, gray to white metallic element that is very resistant to corrosion. It has the highest melting point of all elements, and it retains its strength at high temperatures. It is used to make light-bulb filaments and to increase the hardness and strength of steel. Atomic number 74; atomic weight 183.84; melting point 3,410°C; boiling point 5,900°C; specific gravity 19.3 (20°C); valence 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

2. Also called wolfram

3. See Periodic Table

---

Other Word Forms

• tungstenic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of tungsten

1760–70; < Swedish, equivalent to tung heavy + sten stone

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tungsten

Elmet Group shares soared after the Defense Department announced a $450 million investment aimed at expanding U.S. tungsten production and reducing reliance on China.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

Australia’s Trigg Minerals, which is focused on tungsten and antimony in the Western U.S., last year decided to rename itself to align with “U.S. national security interests and U.S. federal government procurement objectives.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

On Feb. 4, 2025, Beijing issued Announcement No. 10, putting tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, molybdenum and indium-related items under export licensing.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026

This distinction is important because completely melting tungsten carbide can alter its internal structure and reduce the properties that make it valuable.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026

They had fenced off the parallel faces of each dee with a grid of fine tungsten wires to prevent the electrical field from impinging within the dees while allowing the particle beam to pass through.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik