vanadium

American

[vuh-nay-dee-uhm] / vəˈneɪ di əm /

noun

Chemistry.

a rare element occurring in certain minerals and obtained as a light-gray powder with a silvery luster or as a ductile metal: used as an ingredient of steel to toughen it and increase its shock resistance. V; 50.942; 23; 5.96.

vanadium British

/ vəˈneɪdɪəm /

noun

a toxic silvery-white metallic element occurring chiefly in carnotite and vanadinite and used in steel alloys, high-speed tools, and as a catalyst. Symbol: V; atomic no: 23; atomic wt: 50.9415; valency: 2–5; relative density: 6.11; melting pt: 1910±10°C; boiling pt: 3409°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

vanadium Scientific

/ və-nā′dē-əm /

A soft, bright-white metallic element that occurs naturally in several minerals. It has good structural strength and is used especially to make strong varieties of steel. Atomic number 23; atomic weight 50.942; melting point 1,890°C; boiling point 3,000°C; specific gravity 6.11; valence 2, 3, 4, 5.
See Periodic Table

Etymology

Origin of vanadium

< New Latin (1830) < Icelandic Vanad ( ís ) epithet of Freya ( Vana, genitive of Vanir Vanir + dís goddess) + New Latin -ium -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.

See Examples For:

vanadium

Researchers had previously observed this so-called "turnover" state only in vanadium and iron-only nitrogenases.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026

But they are expensive and typically use a metallic element - vanadium - that is only produced in a few places round the world.

From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026

“The markets are small for those products,” Hopkins said, adding testing continues on the economics of extracting smelter-grade alumina, a key component of the aluminum supply chain, along with scandium and vanadium.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 29, 2026

The EPA does not currently classify vanadium as a carcinogen, but other health groups have said it could cause lung cancer based on evidence from animal trials.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2025

The patronite has altered at the surface to red and brown hydrated vanadium oxides.

From The Economic Aspect of Geology by C. K. (Charles Kenneth) Leith

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