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ytterbium

[ih-tur-bee-uh m]
noun Chemistry.
  1. 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.
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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. 2018

Examples from the Web for ytterbium

Historical Examples

  • Ytterbium, i-ter′bi-um, n. an element discovered by Marignac in gadolinite.

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

    Various

British Dictionary definitions for ytterbium

ytterbium

noun
  1. 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
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Word Origin

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

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.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
ytterbium in Medicine

ytterbium

(ĭ-tûr′bē-əm)
n. Symbol Yb
  1. A soft bright allotropic rare-earth element, whose radioisotope is used in diagnostic imaging of the brain. Atomic number 70.
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
ytterbium in Science

ytterbium

[ĭ-tûr′bē-əm]
Yb
  1. 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.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.