unobtainium

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A fictional material or component which, if it existed, would enable one to easily solve a hard problem.
  2. An especially rare material or component that is outrageously expensive or otherwise almost impossible to get hold of.
  3. A high technology component that is extremely expensive.

Pronunciation

/(ˌ)ʌn.ɒbˈteɪ.nɪ.əm/ /-əb-/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-unobtanium.wav /ˌʌn.əbˈteɪ.ni.əm/

Word forms

unobtainium unobtainiums unobtanium

Etymology

From unobtain(able) + -ium (suffix typical of names of atomic elements), modelled after uranium and titanium. Compare also the origin of dysprosium.

Synonyms

This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.