strontium

noun

stron·​tium ˈsträn(t)-sh(ē-)əm 

ˈsträn-tē-əm

: 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

Examples of strontium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This is largely due to the mineral composition of spring water, which contains varying amounts of sulfur, manganese, magnesium, zinc, selenium, strontium, silica, and calcium bicarbonate. —Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 26 Mar. 2024

The researcher analyzed the teeth for strontium isotopes, an element that builds up in tooth enamel in the early layers of teeth as the horse ages, according to the release. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2024

Much of the work so far uses rubidium and cesium atoms, but the physicist Jeff Thompson at Princeton University prefers encoding the information in the nuclear spin states of metal atoms such as strontium and ytterbium, which have even longer coherence times. —Philip Ball, Quanta Magazine, 25 Mar. 2024

For his part, Lynch recently co-wrote a new study that uses measurements of the element strontium in plant leaves to estimate the root lengths. —Maddie Bender, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Mar. 2024

Plenty of other scientific luminaries have their work commemorated in the Royal Institution's collection, including that of Faraday's mentor, Humphry Davy, who discovered the chemical elements barium, strontium, sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. —Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 26 Dec. 2023

That means scientists can track temperatures by looking at the ratio of strontium and calcium as the creatures steadily grow. —Evan Bush, NBC News, 5 Feb. 2024

The team used strontium and oxygen isoscapes—landscapes with isotope ratios tracked—as well as a new sulfur isoscape created by Audrey Rowe. —Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 18 Jan. 2024

That diversity translates into a corresponding patchwork of strontium isotope signatures in the underlying geology. —Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 18 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1808, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

strontium

noun

stron·​tium ˈsträn-ch(ē-)əm 

ˈstränt-ē-əm

: a soft metallic element that can be hammered and shaped, occurs only in combination, and is used in color TV picture tubes and red fireworks see element

Medical Definition

strontium

noun

stron·​tium ˈsträn-ch(ē-)əm  ˈstränt-ē-əm 

: a soft malleable ductile bivalent metallic element of the alkaline-earth group occurring only in combination

—symbol Sr see Chemical Elements Table