: a gray-white heavy high-melting ductile hard polyvalent metallic element that resembles chromium and molybdenum in many of its properties and is used especially in carbide materials and electrical components (such as lamp filaments) and in hardening alloys (such as steel) see Chemical Elements Table
Examples of tungsten in a Sentence
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Proving the feasibility of fusion energy The final interior step is the installation of components made from tungsten and tungsten alloys.
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Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 15 May 2026
The detector, made of crystals of gallium and tungsten, is embedded in a 3U cubesat (about 12 inches long and 4 inches wide, an equivalent to 30 and 10 centimeters), which will orbit the planet at the altitude of 310 miles (500 kilometers) for about two years.
—Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 13 May 2026
During the test, engineers fired the thruster five times and observed as the tungsten electrode at the thruster’s center burned bright, reaching temperatures above 2,800 degrees Celsius (5,000 degrees Fahrenheit).
—New Atlas, 12 May 2026
Solid, dense metals, like gold or tungsten, have very high densities.
—Big Think, 8 May 2026
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Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 15 May 2026
The detector, made of crystals of gallium and tungsten, is embedded in a 3U cubesat (about 12 inches long and 4 inches wide, an equivalent to 30 and 10 centimeters), which will orbit the planet at the altitude of 310 miles (500 kilometers) for about two years.
—Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 13 May 2026
During the test, engineers fired the thruster five times and observed as the tungsten electrode at the thruster’s center burned bright, reaching temperatures above 2,800 degrees Celsius (5,000 degrees Fahrenheit).
—New Atlas, 12 May 2026
Solid, dense metals, like gold or tungsten, have very high densities.
—Big Think, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for tungsten
Cite this Entry
“Tungsten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tungsten. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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Etymology
from Swedish tungsten, literally "heavy stone," from tung "heavy" and sten "stone"
Medical Definition
tungsten
noun
tung·sten
ˈtəŋ-stən 
: a gray-white heavy high-melting ductile hard polyvalent metallic element that resembles chromium and molybdenum in many of its properties and is used especially for electrical purposes and in hardening alloys (as steel)
—symbol W
called also wolfram
see Chemical Elements TableLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
