cerium

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun

A chemical element (symbol Ce) with an atomic number of 58, a very soft, ductile, silvery-white metal that tarnishes when exposed to air.

Pronunciation

sîr'ēəm /ˈsɪəɹiəm/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-cerium.wav LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-cerium.wav

Word forms

cerium ceriums cererium

Etymology

From Ceres (“a famous asteroid”) + -ium. The element was discovered and named in 1803. It was named after the asteroid, which had been discovered recently (1801) and had been named after Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture. This was during an era when asteroids were culturally exciting things that humans were just beginning to understand properly in astronomical terms, and the era also featured a fascination with neoclassical themes and thus naming things after icons of ancient Greek and Roman mythology and literature.

Related words

Ceres ceria allanite bastnasite CAN hydroxylbastnasite jeweler's rouge jeweller's rouge monazite orthite rhabdophane synchysite

Derived words

cerate ceriation ceric ceriferous cerine cerite cerium dioxide cerium metals cerium oxide cerium trichloride ceroan cerous dicerium ferrocerium noncerium organocerium radiocerium tricerium

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