tellurium

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: tel=lu=ri=um

CIDE DICTIONARY

tellurium, n. [NL., from L. tellus, -uris, the earth.].

 A rare nonmetallic element, analogous to sulphur and selenium, occasionally found native as a substance of a silver-white metallic luster, but usually combined with metals, as with gold and silver in the mineral sylvanite, with mercury in Coloradoite, etc. Symbol Te. Atomic weight 125.2.  [1913 Webster]

Graphic tellurium. (Min.) See Sylvanite. -- Tellurium glance (Min.), nagyagite; -- called also black tellurium.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

tellurium, n. Chem. a rare brittle lustrous silver-white element occurring naturally in ores of gold and silver, used in semiconductors.

Usage

Symb.: Te.

Derivative

telluride n. tellurite n. tellurous adj.

Etymology

L tellus -uris earth, prob. named in contrast to uranium