ytterbium

noun

yt·​ter·​bi·​um i-ˈtər-bē-əm 

: a soft metallic element of the rare-earth group that occurs especially with other rare earth elements in minerals and that has few commercial uses see Chemical Elements Table

Examples of ytterbium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Today, yttrium is used in lighting and flat screens; ytterbium in cancer treatments and earthquake monitoring; erbium in lasers and fiberoptic cables. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 17 June 2025

The first of these clocks was developed in the early 1980s, and nowadays they can be built from any of a number of neutral or ionized versions of elements, including mercury, strontium, calcium, ytterbium, and aluminum. —IEEE Spectrum, 30 Sep. 2014

Some, such as aluminum, lithium, and cobalt, are better known (and easier to pronounce) than others: dysprosium, fluorspar, ruthenium, ytterbium. —E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2025

In the universe, every ytterbium atom is the same as every other ytterbium atom. —Chuck Brooks, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Ytterby, town in southern Sweden

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

ytterbium

noun

yt·​ter·​bi·​um i-ˈtər-bē-əm 

: a metallic element that occurs in several minerals see element

Medical Definition

ytterbium

noun

yt·​ter·​bi·​um i-ˈtər-bē-əm 

: a bivalent or trivalent metallic element of the rare-earth group that resembles yttrium and occurs with it and related elements in several minerals

—symbol Yb see Chemical Elements Table