samarium
noun
sa·mar·i·um
sə-ˈmer-ē-əm 
: a silvery-white lustrous metallic element of the rare-earth group that is used especially in permanent magnets see Chemical Elements Table
Examples of samarium in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As researchers discovered decades ago, magnetic strength can be greatly improved by adding to the crystalline lattice atoms with unpaired electrons in the 4f orbital—notably the rare-earth elements neodymium, samarium, and dysprosium.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 22 Mar. 2023
In just six months the price of samarium oxide quadrupled, to more than $50 a pound in May of this year, owing to its property as a permanent supermagnet when alloyed with cobalt.
—Hugh Aldersey-Williams, Discover Magazine, 21 Sep. 2011
In that year, Frenchman Eugène-Anatole Demarçay isolated the element as an impurity in samples of another rare earth, samarium (named, indirectly, after Russian mine official V. E. Samarsky-Bykhovets).
—Hugh Aldersey-Williams, Discover Magazine, 21 Sep. 2011
Japanese scientist Masato Sagawa, for example—who just won the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering—developed the NdFeB magnet in the 1980s to replace the costly cobalt in samarium-cobalt magnets.
—Mary Hui, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2022
Known as the samarium-cobalt (SmCo) magnet, it was developed in the 1960s in the US and was far more powerful than previous permanent magnets.
—Mary Hui, Quartz, 14 May 2021
The first rare earth magnet to have been developed was based on the rare earth samarium and the transition metal cobalt.
—Mary Hui, Quartz, 14 May 2021
To the researchers' shock, perfectly doubled conductance happened in their samarium hexaboride experiment.
—Rachel Crowell, Scientific American, 9 July 2019
Even the more prized magnetic elements such as neodymium, dysprosium, praseodymium and samarium are humdrum enough that Apple Inc. uses rare-earth magnets to make its power cables stick in place.
—Washington Post, 31 May 2019
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IEEE Spectrum, 22 Mar. 2023
In just six months the price of samarium oxide quadrupled, to more than $50 a pound in May of this year, owing to its property as a permanent supermagnet when alloyed with cobalt.
—Hugh Aldersey-Williams, Discover Magazine, 21 Sep. 2011
In that year, Frenchman Eugène-Anatole Demarçay isolated the element as an impurity in samples of another rare earth, samarium (named, indirectly, after Russian mine official V. E. Samarsky-Bykhovets).
—Hugh Aldersey-Williams, Discover Magazine, 21 Sep. 2011
Japanese scientist Masato Sagawa, for example—who just won the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering—developed the NdFeB magnet in the 1980s to replace the costly cobalt in samarium-cobalt magnets.
—Mary Hui, Quartz, 7 Mar. 2022
Known as the samarium-cobalt (SmCo) magnet, it was developed in the 1960s in the US and was far more powerful than previous permanent magnets.
—Mary Hui, Quartz, 14 May 2021
The first rare earth magnet to have been developed was based on the rare earth samarium and the transition metal cobalt.
—Mary Hui, Quartz, 14 May 2021
To the researchers' shock, perfectly doubled conductance happened in their samarium hexaboride experiment.
—Rachel Crowell, Scientific American, 9 July 2019
Even the more prized magnetic elements such as neodymium, dysprosium, praseodymium and samarium are humdrum enough that Apple Inc. uses rare-earth magnets to make its power cables stick in place.
—Washington Post, 31 May 2019
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'samarium.' 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 French samarskite
First Known Use
1879, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near samarium
Cite this Entry
“Samarium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/samarium. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.
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Kids Definition
samarium
noun
sa·mar·i·um
sə-ˈmer-ē-əm
-ˈmar-
: a pale gray shiny metallic element see element
Medical Definition
samarium
noun
sa·mar·i·um
sə-ˈmer-ē-əm, -ˈmar-
: a pale gray lustrous metallic element used especially in alloys that form permanent magnets
—symbol Sm
see Chemical Elements Table
More from Merriam-Webster on samarium
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about samarium
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