cadmium

noun

cad·mi·um ˈkad-mē-əm

: a toxic bluish-white malleable ductile divalent metallic element used especially in batteries, pigments, and protective platings see Chemical Elements Table

Examples of cadmium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Many electronic devices contain toxic materials, such as lead, mercury, and cadmium, which can contaminate soil, water, and air if not handled properly. —

Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 14 July 2023 Last week, Consumer Reports (CR) released its second article highlighting that one of America's most beloved confections—chocolates—can contain small amounts of the toxic metals lead and cadmium. —

Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 1 Nov. 2023 The paintings’ clouds of cadmium yellow, electric aqua, and candied tangerine evoke the emotional registers of both psychedelic op-art and the digital graphics of artists like Jeremy Blake and Cory Arcangel. —

Erik Morse, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2023 Both lead and cadmium cause long-term damage to the body. —

Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 16 Sep. 2023 The car's battery is not like a nickel cadmium battery where topping off is bad. —

Morgan Korn, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2023 The marijuana users also had 22% higher levels of cadmium in their blood, according to the research, which was published Wednesday in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. —

Aria Bendix, NBC News, 30 Aug. 2023 Taking in lead and cadmium through ingestion or inhalation is a problem for the body, but the lungs may have a more difficult time getting rid of the toxins than the digestive system. —

Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 16 Sep. 2023 Study:Cannabis users have much more lead and cadmium in their blood and urine Five deaths Five people have died as a result of complications associated with the disease and the strain associated with the outbreak is known to be circulating widely in the U.S., the agency said. —

Monique Calello, USA TODAY, 2 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cadmium.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin cadmia zinc oxide, from Greek kadmeia, literally, Theban (earth), from feminine of kadmeios Theban, from Kadmos; from the occurrence of its ores together with zinc oxide

First Known Use

1818, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of cadmium was in 1818

See more words from the same year