calcium

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noun, often attributive cal·ci·um \ˈkal-sē-əm\

Definition of calcium

: a silver-white divalent metallic element of the alkaline-earth group occurring only in combination — see element table

See calcium defined for English-language learners

See calcium defined for kids

Examples of calcium in a Sentence

Her doctor said she should eat more foods that are high in calcium, such as milk and cheese.

Recent Examples of calcium from the Web

Since magnesium deficiency can contribute to exhaustion, I’m supposed to pop a calcium/magnesium supplement every day in addition to a fish oil supplement.

— michelle konstantinovsky, Harper's BAZAAR, "Why Do Women Still Think PMS is Normal?", 29 June 2017
Also in the nutrition column, the Army has found that eating a calcium-rich performance nutrition bar at bedtime protects recruits against the rigors of training.

— jeanette steele, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Female recruits: Eat your spinach (or another good source of iron)", 16 June 2017
These microscopic algae build their own armor by surrounding themselves with dozens of limestone, or calcium carbonate, scales.

— joanna klein, New York Times, "The Black Sea Turned Turquoise, Thanks to a Phytoplankton Bloom", 16 June 2017
An early ultrasound of the baby’s brain showed extensive calcium deposits, more signs of Zika damage, doctors said.

— jonel aleccia, Kaiser Health News, "Zika In America: One Mother’s Saga", 13 June 2017
The calcium carbonate collects on adjacent surfaces.

— julia griffin, Scientific American, "How Mother Nature and a Pentagon Mathematician Created the World’s Largest Instrument", 9 June 2017
Both are sources of high-quality protein, calcium and many vitamins and minerals.

— kathy r. byrnes, Cincinnati.com, "Know where chocolate milk comes from? Almost half don’t", 8 June 2017
The layers of sedimentary clay store a high concentration of over 21 minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, sulfates, and bromide. 2.

— lori keong, Marie Claire, "4 Reasons to Invest in a Dead Sea Mud Mask for All Your Skincare Woes", 6 June 2017
Medications included calcium channel blockers, beta blockers, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and thiazide diuretics (TZs).

— linda searing, Washington Post, "For high blood pressure, combining drugs at lower dose may be effective", 5 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'calcium'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of calcium

New Latin, from Latin calc-, calx lime

NEW!

First Known Use: 1808

See Words from the same year

Other Chemical Engineering Terms

alkali, cation, decant, hygroscopic, isotope, oxidize, slurry, solute, viscous

CALCIUM Defined for English Language Learners

calcium

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noun

Definition of calcium for English Language Learners

: a substance that is found in most plants and animals and that is especially important in people for strong healthy bones

CALCIUM Defined for Kids

calcium

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noun cal·ci·um \ˈkal-sē-əm\

Definition of calcium for Students

: a silvery soft metallic chemical element that is essential for strong healthy bones

Medical Dictionary

calcium

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noun , often attributive cal·ci·um \ˈkal-sē-əm\

Medical Definition of calcium

: a silver-white bivalent metallic element that is an alkaline earth metal, occurs only in combination, and is an essential constituent of most plants and animals—symbol Ca; see element table