zirconium

[ zur-koh-nee-uhm ]

/ zɜrˈkoʊ ni əm /

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noun Chemistry.

a metallic element found combined in zircon, baddeleyite, etc., resembling titanium chemically: used in steel metallurgy, as a scavenger, as a refractory, and as an opacifier in vitreous enamels. Symbol: Zr; atomic weight: 91.22; atomic number: 40; specific gravity: 6.49 at 20°C.

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Origin of zirconium

From New Latin, dating back to 1800–10; see origin at zircon, -ium

OTHER WORDS FROM zirconium

zir·con·ic

[zur-kon-ik], /zɜrˈkɒn ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby zirconium

ziram, zircalloy, Zircaloy, zircon, zirconia, zirconium, zirconium oxide, zirconyl, Ziska, zit, zither

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use zirconium in a sentence

What’s more, zircons provide clues about the environments in which they formed, as their growing lattices of zirconium, silica and oxygen capture tiny amounts of other elements from their surroundings.
Ancient zircons may record the dawn of plate tectonics|Nikk Ogasa|May 2, 2022|Science News
Much of that material melted and flowed together in the initial disaster, a human-created lava of uranium, sand, graphite, and zirconium, which then solidified.
Russian forces just captured Chernobyl. What are the radioactive risks?|Kelsey D. Atherton|February 25, 2022|Popular-Science
In real life, it will be about the size of a hot tub, and made from an array of exotic materials, like zirconium and uranium.
A New Generation of Nuclear Reactors Could Hold the Key to a Green Future|Andrew Blum|November 16, 2021|Time
He specialized in research and development in zirconium products, and allegedly had distant ties to Iran.
Plot Thickens in Grisly French Alps Murders|Barbie Latza Nadeau|October 29, 2012|DAILY BEAST

The other source of vector is the reaction between the zirconium and water.
Japan Nuclear Crisis: What Is a Full Meltdown?|Josh Dzieza|March 15, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The zirconium alloy will react with water to produce hydrogen and oxide, but it also produces heat that has to be removed.
Japan Nuclear Crisis: What Is a Full Meltdown?|Josh Dzieza|March 15, 2011|DAILY BEAST
On the prolonged boiling of the filtrate, the oxide of titanium (and oxide of zirconium, if any) is precipitated.
A Textbook of Assaying: For the Use of Those Connected with Mines.|Cornelius Beringer and John Jacob Beringer
Zirconium is exactly like titanium in form, but contains a large number of atoms.
Occult Chemistry|Annie Besant and Charles W. Leadbeater
On the one side is carbon, with below it titanium and zirconium; on the other silicon, with germanium and tin.
Occult Chemistry|Annie Besant and Charles W. Leadbeater
Zirconium chlorid has an astringent taste, and if fed repeatedly will cause the metallic astringent action.
Barium, A Cause of the Loco-Weed Disease|Albert Cornelius Crawford
A lamp-filament of titanium and zirconium with electric lamps or with alloys?
The Classification of Patents|United States Patent Office

British Dictionary definitions for zirconium

zirconium

/ (zɜːˈkəʊnɪəm) /

noun

a greyish-white metallic element, occurring chiefly in zircon, that is exceptionally corrosion-resistant and has low neutron absorption. It is used as a coating in nuclear and chemical plants, as a deoxidizer in steel, and alloyed with niobium in superconductive magnets. Symbol: Zr; atomic no: 40; atomic wt: 91.224; valency: 2, 3, or 4; relative density: 6.506; melting pt: 1855±2°C; boiling pt: 4409°C

Derived forms of zirconium

zirconic (zɜːˈkɒnɪk), adjective

Word Origin for zirconium

C19: from New Latin; see zircon

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

Scientific definitions for zirconium

zirconium

[ zûr-kō′nē-əm ]

A shiny, grayish-white metallic element that occurs primarily in zircon. It is used to build nuclear reactors because of its ability to withstand bombardment by neutrons even at high temperatures. Zirconium is also highly resistant to corrosion, making it a useful component of pumps, valves, and alloys. Atomic number 40; atomic weight 91.22; melting point 1,852°C; boiling point 4,377°C; specific gravity 6.56 (20°C); valence 2, 3, 4. See Periodic Table.