terbium

noun

ter·​bi·​um ˈtər-bē-əm 

: a metallic element of the rare-earth group with atomic number 65 that occurs naturally only in combination and that is used especially in alloys for electronic equipment and as a green phosphor (see phosphor sense 2) in electronic displays see Chemical Elements Table

Examples of terbium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That means that most of the neodymium, dysprosium, and terbium that end up in EV motors, drones, wind turbines and even smartphones ... well, depending on supply and demand or even geopolitical landscape, China basically makes the rules. —Joe Salas july 19, New Atlas, 19 July 2025

Crucially, in May the Kuantan plant produced its first batch of dysprosium and is expecting its first terbium this month. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 17 June 2025

Those restrictions included terbium, 9 grams of which is typically used in a single-motor EV, AlixPartners data showed. —Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 28 May 2025

Both dysprosium and terbium were on a list of materials which China temporarily banned from export to the U.S. earlier this year. —Tim Treadgold, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Ytterby, Sweden

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for terbium

• erbium

Kids Definition

terbium

noun

ter·​bi·​um ˈtər-bē-əm 

: a rare metallic element see element

Medical Definition

terbium

noun

ter·​bi·​um ˈtər-bē-əm 

: a usually trivalent metallic element of the rare-earth group

—symbol Tb see Chemical Elements Table