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ytterbium

[ih-tur-bee-uh m]
|

noun Chemistry.

a rare metallic element found in gadolinite and forming compounds resembling those of yttrium. Symbol: Yb; atomic weight: 173.04; atomic number: 70; specific gravity: 6.96.

Nearby words

  1. yt,
  2. ytd,
  3. yts,
  4. ytterbia,
  5. ytterbite,
  6. ytterbium oxide,
  7. yttria,
  8. yttriferous,
  9. yttrium,
  10. yttrium metal
Compare rare-earth element.

Origin of ytterbium

From New Latin, dating back to 1875–80; see origin at ytterbia, -ium
Related formsyt·ter·bic, yt·ter·bous, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ytterbium

British Dictionary definitions for ytterbium

ytterbium

noun

a soft malleable silvery element of the lanthanide series of metals that occurs in monazite and is used to improve the mechanical properties of steel. Symbol: Yb; atomic no: 70; atomic wt: 173.04; valency: 2 or 3; relative density: 6.903 (alpha), 6.966 (beta); melting pt: 819°C; boiling pt: 1196°C

Word Origin for ytterbium

C19: New Latin; see ytterbia
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
Word Origin and History for ytterbium

ytterbium

metallic rare-earth element, 1879, coined in Modern Latin by Swedish chemist Carl Gustaf Mosander (1797-1858) from Ytterby, name of a town in Sweden where mineral containing it was found.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Medicine definitions for ytterbium

ytterbium

[ĭ-tûr′bē-əm]

n. Symbol Yb

A soft bright allotropic rare-earth element, whose radioisotope is used in diagnostic imaging of the brain. Atomic number 70.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Science definitions for ytterbium

ytterbium

[ĭ-tûr′bē-əm]

Yb

A soft, silvery-white metallic element of the lanthanide series that occurs as seven stable isotopes. It is used as a radiation source for portable x-ray machines. Atomic number 70; atomic weight 173.04; melting point 824°C; boiling point 1,196°C; specific gravity 6.972 or 6.54 (25°C) depending on allotropic form; valence 2, 3. See Periodic Table.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.