scandium

noun

scan·​di·​um ˈskan-dē-əm How to pronounce scandium (audio)
: a silvery-white metallic element found widely especially in association with rare earth elements and used especially in alloys and in high-intensity electric lamps see Chemical Elements Table

Examples of scandium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Lead is toxic; scandium is prohibitively expensive; tantalum is a conflict material in Central Africa and, Defay says, best avoided. IEEE Spectrum, 29 Nov. 2023 Estimates today suggest the Earth's crust is about 0.002% lithium, ranking it between such elements as scandium and niobium - not exactly everyday elements. Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 20 Sep. 2023 Three of those elements—ytterbium, erbium, and terbium—were simply given additional variants on the name of Ytterby, while the other three were named holmium (for Stockholm), scandium, and thulium (both from the Latin for Scandinavia), in the nationalistic fashion then in favor. Hugh Aldersey-Williams, Discover Magazine, 21 Sep. 2011 With fantastical names like lanthanides, scandium and yttrium, rare-earth elements play a crucial role in renewable-energy technology, which may be our best hope for avoiding catastrophic global warming. Ron Charles, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2023 China is the world’s main producer and processor of scandium and rare earths. Dionne Searcey Arin Yoon, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2023 The tenor of these quiet flatlands, where deer bounce across gravel roads and neon sunsets scream across the long horizon, would change dramatically if mining for metals like niobium, scandium, titanium and rare earths begins. Dionne Searcey Arin Yoon, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2023 One perfectly legal way to boost your performance is to use a metal bat infused with the rare-earth element scandium. Hugh Aldersey-Williams, Discover Magazine, 21 Sep. 2011 The facility accelerated a beam of selenium-82 and used it to produce rare isotopes of the elements scandium, calcium and potassium. Artemis Spyrou, The Conversation, 14 Nov. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scandium.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin Scandia, ancient name of southern Scandinavian peninsula

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scandium was in 1879

Dictionary Entries Near scandium

Cite this Entry

“Scandium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scandium. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

scandium

noun
scan·​di·​um ˈskan-dē-əm How to pronounce scandium (audio)
: a silvery white metallic element found together with other rare elements see element

Medical Definition

scandium

noun
scan·​di·​um ˈskan-dē-əm How to pronounce scandium (audio)
: a white trivalent metallic element found in association with rare earth elements
symbol Sc
see Chemical Elements Table

More from Merriam-Webster on scandium

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!