-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
neodymium
noun
neo·dym·i·um
ˌnē-ō-ˈdi-mē-əm
: a silver-white to yellow metallic element of the rare-earth group that is used especially in magnets and lasers see Chemical Elements Table
Examples of neodymium in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Hong Kong team have now developed a whole-body ULF MRI scanner in which patients are placed between two permanent neodymium ferrite boron magnet plates—one above the body and the other below.
—IEEE Spectrum, 15 May 2024
That’s all to say that rare earth metals like neodymium (and commonly used additives like dysprosium, terbium, and praesodymium) are pretty important.
—Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 2 June 2023
However, rare-earth elements like neodymium and dysprosium, which are required for the most powerful magnets for the latter, also represent a major choke point.
—IEEE Spectrum, 15 Mar. 2024
The novel waveguide for the neodymium tweeter extends response to beyond 25 kHz but importantly replicates a deep, wide soundstage.
—Robert Ross, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2024
Is digging up enough minerals like lithium, neodymium and dysprosium to enable the electric vehicle transition worth killing 44,000 small plants growing in the middle of the Nevada desert?
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
So in other words, using CRISPR technology to engineer bacteria or enzymes to bind directly to the neodymium and the praseodymium, pull those out of the broader solution and drop them down ready for final processing.
—IEEE Spectrum, 7 Dec. 2023
Manufacturers add rare-earth minerals such as neodymium and praseodymium to ensure that magnets maintain their polarity even at temperatures above 300 degrees.
—Andrew Zaleski, Popular Mechanics, 22 Aug. 2023
Two of these metals help speakers produce sound, neodymium and praseodymium.
—Milton Ezrati, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'neodymium.' 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
neo- + (di)dymium, after German Neodym
First Known Use
1885, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near neodymium
Cite this Entry
“Neodymium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neodymium. Accessed 20 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
neodymium
noun
neo·dym·i·um
ˌnē-ō-ˈdim-ē-əm
: a silver-white to yellow metallic chemical element see element
Medical Definition
neodymium
noun
neo·dym·i·um
ˌnē-ō-ˈdim-ē-əm
: a yellow metallic element of the rare-earth group
—symbol Nd
see Chemical Elements Table
More from Merriam-Webster on neodymium
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about neodymium
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share