trace element

Definition of trace element

: a chemical element present in minute quantities especially : a micronutrient (such as iodine, iron, and zinc) with an optimum daily intake of typically less than 100 milligrams a day

Examples of trace element in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Related Stories Rossi and McNamara's team studied 10 million-year-old frog and tadpole fossils and the almost 50-million year-old fossils of a marine reptile and prehistoric bat using trace element chemistry. — Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, "Scientists Learned How to Reconstruct Long-Extinct Animals," 20 Aug. 2019 One of the richest stores of data inside a core, coral detectives are finding, is its year-by-year record of trace elements in ocean water. — Quanta Magazine, "Cores From Coral Reefs Hold Secrets of the Seas’ Past and Future," 29 May 2018 One of the richest stores of data inside a core, coral detectives are finding, is its year-by-year record of trace elements in ocean water. — Quanta Magazine, "Cores From Coral Reefs Hold Secrets of the Seas’ Past and Future," 29 May 2018 One of the richest stores of data inside a core, coral detectives are finding, is its year-by-year record of trace elements in ocean water. — Quanta Magazine, "Cores From Coral Reefs Hold Secrets of the Seas’ Past and Future," 29 May 2018 One of the richest stores of data inside a core, coral detectives are finding, is its year-by-year record of trace elements in ocean water. — Quanta Magazine, "Cores From Coral Reefs Hold Secrets of the Seas’ Past and Future," 29 May 2018 One of the richest stores of data inside a core, coral detectives are finding, is its year-by-year record of trace elements in ocean water. — Quanta Magazine, "Cores From Coral Reefs Hold Secrets of the Seas’ Past and Future," 29 May 2018 Now the case is once again back in the news, thanks to Richard Ash, a geologist at the University of Maryland, College Park who specializes in analyzing trace elements in geologic samples. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Study brings us one step closer to solving 1994 thallium poisoning case," 25 Dec. 2018 For blue sapphires, traditionally the most sought-after color, the important trace elements are iron and titanium. — C. Claiborne Ray, New York Times, "From One Mineral, Brilliant Reds and Bright Blues," 22 June 2018

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

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Dictionary Entries near trace element

trace of precipitation

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Last Updated

8 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Trace element.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trace%20element. Accessed 25 January 2020.

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More Definitions for trace element

trace element

noun

English Language Learners Definition of trace element

technical

: a chemical element that is present only in very small amounts

: a chemical or element that a living thing needs in very small amounts in order to live

See the full definition for trace element in the English Language Learners Dictionary

trace element

noun

Medical Definition of trace element

: a chemical element present in minute quantities especially : a micronutrient (as iodine, iron, and zinc) with an optimum daily intake of typically less than 100 milligrams