antimony

noun

an·​ti·​mo·​ny ˈan-tə-ˌmō-nē 

1

: stibnite

2

: a trivalent and pentavalent metalloid element with atomic number 51 that commonly occurs in a brittle, metallic, silvery white crystalline form and that is used especially in alloys, semiconductors, and flame-retardant substances see Chemical Elements Table

Examples of antimony in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In this industry, the U.S. has actually lost ground, shuttering its last antimony refinement facility in 2021. —Jackie Snow, Quartz, 8 Feb. 2025

The results of that work were published in Advanced Materials last August. After embedding the single antimony atom, the resist is removed, and using the alignment marks for reference, the engineers fabricated a transistor and a micro antenna on top of the antimony atom. —IEEE Spectrum, 5 Feb. 2025

Like gallium and germanium, antimony is also used to manufacture semiconductor devices, such as infrared sensors and diodes. —Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024

Mining restarted there in the 1930s, when tungsten and antimony were crucial to the military for armored vehicles and ammunition in World War II. —Kevin Fixler, Idaho Statesman, 5 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English antimonie, from Medieval Latin antimonium

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for antimony

• abalone
• acrimony
• alimony
• ceremony
• chalcedony
• cicerone
• cosmogony
• eurozone
• lithopone
• macaroni
• matrimony
• naloxone

Kids Definition

antimony

noun

an·​ti·​mo·​ny ˈant-ə-ˌmō-nē 

: a metallic silvery white element that is used especially in alloys and medicine see element

Medical Definition

antimony

noun

an·​ti·​mo·​ny ˈant-ə-ˌmō-nē 

plural antimonies

: a trivalent and pentavalent metalloid element that is commonly metallic silvery white, crystalline, and brittle and is used especially in alloys and semiconductors and in medicine as a constituent of various antiprotozoal agents (as tartar emetic)

—symbol Sb see Chemical Elements Table