terbium

noun

ter·​bi·​um ˈtər-bē-əm 

: a metallic element of the rare-earth group with atomic number 65 that occurs naturally only in combination and that is used especially in alloys for electronic equipment and as a green phosphor (see phosphor sense 2) in electronic displays see Chemical Elements Table

Examples of terbium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Dysprosium and terbium, two other rare earths, are sometimes mixed into magnets made for particularly demanding products, like wind turbines and U.S. submarines. —Andrew Zaleski, Popular Mechanics, 22 Aug. 2023

That’s all to say that rare earth metals like neodymium (and commonly used additives like dysprosium, terbium, and praesodymium) are pretty important. —Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 2 June 2023

Elements now suffuse technology like spices in an elaborate dish — iPhones, for instance, contain a dash of indium, a sprinkling of terbium and hints of some 70 other elements. —Xiaozhi Lim, Discover Magazine, 16 May 2020

The team positioned a metal tip a few atoms wide less than 1 nanometer above organic molecules that contained iron and terbium atoms. —Byscience News Staff, science.org, 1 June 2023

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Ytterby, Sweden

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

terbium

noun

ter·​bi·​um ˈtər-bē-əm 

: a rare metallic element see element

Medical Definition

terbium

noun

ter·​bi·​um ˈtər-bē-əm 

: a usually trivalent metallic element of the rare-earth group

—symbol Tb see Chemical Elements Table