manganese

man·ga·nese

noun \ˈmaŋ-gə-ˌnēz, -ˌnēs\

Definition of MANGANESE

: a grayish-white usually hard and brittle metallic element that resembles iron but is not magnetic and is used especially in alloys, batteries, and plant fertilizers — see element table

— man·ga·ne·sian \ˌmaŋ-gə-ˈnē-zhən, -shən\ adjective

Origin of MANGANESE

French manganèse, from Italian manganese manganese dioxide

First Known Use: 1783

man·ga·nese

noun \ˈmaŋ-gə-ˌnēz, -ˌnēs\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of MANGANESE

: a grayish white usually hard and brittle metallic element that resembles iron but is not magnetic—symbol Mn; see element table

manganese

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Metallic chemical element, one of the transition elements, chemical symbol Mn, atomic number 25. It is a silvery white, hard, brittle metal, widely distributed in Earth's crust in combination with other elements. Nodules rich in manganese occur in huge quantities on the seafloor, but no economical way to mine them has been devised. More than 95% of the manganese produced is used in iron and steel alloys and much of the rest in nonferrous aluminum and magnesium alloys to improve their corrosion resistance and mechanical properties. Manganese compounds, in which it has various valences, are used in fertilizers and textile printing and as reagents and raw materials. Potassium permanganate is used for disinfecting, deodorizing, and bleaching and as a reagent in analysis. Manganese is essential to plants for growth and to higher animals to promote the action of many enzymes.