vanadium

noun

va·​na·​di·​um və-ˈnā-dē-əm How to pronounce vanadium (audio)
: a silvery-grayish malleable ductile metallic element obtained from minerals and used especially to form alloys and in catalysts see Chemical Elements Table

Examples of vanadium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This nitrogenase uses only iron, without molybdenum or vanadium. Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 6 Feb. 2024 Typical redox flow batteries use ions based on iron chromium or vanadium chemistries; the latter takes advantage of vanadium’s four distinct ionic states. IEEE Spectrum, 24 Dec. 2023 Choi and his colleagues replaced the traditional detector material with a more heat-stable one, fabricating a vanadium dioxide film that could exhibit the same changes in electrical current from room temperature up to 100 C (212 F). Meeri Kim, Discover Magazine, 12 Aug. 2021 Price at time of publish: $28 Product Details: Material: Chrome vanadium steel | Number of Pieces: 20 | Drive Size: 3/8 inch | Socket Types: 6-point hex The Bottom Line Our pick for the best socket set overall is this 135-piece set from Craftsman. Sarah Halverson, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 Aug. 2023 United States Geological Survey (USGS) data on global mineral reserves shows Africa hosts cobalt (52.4%), manganese (46%), bauxite for aluminium production (24.7%), graphite (21.2%), and vanadium (16%). By Conrad Onyango, Quartz, 1 June 2023 Tests determined that the residue contained metals such as aluminum, barium, chromium, nickel, vanadium and zinc. Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2023 The survey will be concentrated in an area of South-Central Alabama known as the Graphite Belt, and look for minerals such as aluminum, arsenic, bismuth, cobalt, germanium, graphite, rare earth metals, tin, tungsten, vanadium and others. William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, 5 May 2023 Muzo’s emeralds are famed for their pure Platonic green, a result of their pitch-perfect concentrations of chromium and vanadium. Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 10 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vanadium.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

latinization of Swedish Vanadin, from Old Norse Vanadīs, epithet of the goddess Freya (from vana-, stem of vanr, one of the Vanir + dís "woman, female supernatural being") + Swedish -in -in entry 1

First Known Use

1833, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vanadium was in 1833

Dictionary Entries Near vanadium

Cite this Entry

“Vanadium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vanadium. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

vanadium

noun
va·​na·​di·​um və-ˈnād-ē-əm How to pronounce vanadium (audio)
: a grayish metallic element found combined in minerals and used especially to form alloys (as of steel) see element

Medical Definition

vanadium

noun
va·​na·​di·​um və-ˈnād-ē-əm How to pronounce vanadium (audio)
: a grayish malleable ductile polyvalent metallic element found combined in minerals and used especially to form alloys (as vanadium steel)
symbol V
see Chemical Elements Table

More from Merriam-Webster on vanadium

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