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

Ars Video Rare but not irreplaceable The export controls China announced earlier this month cover samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium—seven elements that belong to what is known as the rare earth family. —ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2025

Rare but Not Irreplaceable The export controls China announced earlier this month cover samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium—seven elements that belong to what is known as the rare earth family. —Zeyi Yang, Wired News, 23 Apr. 2025

China exports as much as 85% of its terbium to Japan, while other destinations include South Korea and the US, which takes around 5%, according to Bloomberg calculations based on Chinese customs data. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2025

Australia’s Lynas Rare Earths Ltd. is expected to expand its plant in Malaysia to produce dysprosium and terbium by June. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 17 Apr. 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