strontium

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noun stron·tium \ ˈsträn(t)-sh(ē-)əm , ˈsträn-tē-əm \

Definition of strontium

:a soft malleable ductile metallic element of the alkaline-earth group occurring only in combination and used especially in color TV tubes, in crimson fireworks, and in the production of some ferrites — see Chemical Elements Table

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Recent Examples of strontium from the Web

Arginine bicarbonate plugs the exposed pores in your teeth for immediate relief, while other ingredients, such as potassium nitrate and strontium chloride, block pain signals to the brain.

— joanne chen, Redbook, "Teeth: An Owner's Manual," 24 July 2017
Three chemicals interacted to form the color tracers — barium, strontium and cupric-oxide.

— angela fritz, Washington Post, "The NASA Wallops ‘artificial aurora’ rocket launch finally happened. Here’s what it looked like.," 29 June 2017
Three chemicals will interact to form the color tracers — barium, strontium and cupric-oxide.

— kevin ambrose, Washington Post, "Cloudy skies scuttle Wallops Island rocket launch again. The eighth try is Thursday night.," 14 June 2017
Specifically, NASA will use a short-range rocket to launch a payload of barium, strontium, and cupric oxide—

— avery thompson, Popular Mechanics, "Watch Tonight as NASA Tries to Create Artificial Clouds," 13 June 2017
Other scientists performed isotope tests to measure oxygen, strontium, and nitrogen levels in the man’s bones.

— gl archive, National Geographic, "This Explosion Was the Biggest Blast Before Atomic Bombs," 6 June 2017
Frei uses strontium isotope analyses in her research.

— christian als, Smithsonian, "Europe’s Famed Bog Bodies Are Starting to Reveal Their Secrets," 2 May 2017
Like other animals, penguins excrete certain elements (copper, zinc, strontium, selenium) in proportions much higher than what is found in the surrounding environment.

— marcia bjornerud, The New Yorker, "A Tale of Cataclysm, Written in Penguin Guano," 11 Apr. 2017
For instance, barium compounds emit green, red comes from strontium and blues are made with copper.

— steph yin, New York Times, "‘Quiet Fireworks’ Promise Relief for Children and Animals," 30 June 2016

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

Origin and Etymology of strontium

New Latin, from strontia strontium oxide, from obsolete English strontian, from Strontian, village in Scotland

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First Known Use: 1808

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STRONTIUM Defined for English Language Learners

strontium

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noun

Definition of strontium for English Language Learners

: a soft silver-white metal that is used in color TV tubes and red fireworks

Medical Dictionary

strontium

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noun stron·tium \ ˈsträn-ch(ē-)əm , ˈstränt-ē-əm \

medical Definition of strontium

:a soft malleable ductile bivalent metallic element of the alkaline-earth group occurring only in combination —symbol Sr — see Chemical Elements Table