antimony
Americannoun
noun
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A metalloid element having many forms, the most common of which is a hard, very brittle, shiny, blue-white crystal. It is used in a wide variety of alloys, especially with lead in car batteries, and in the manufacture of flameproofing compounds. Atomic number 51; atomic weight 121.76; melting point 630.5°C (1,167°F); boiling point 1,380°C (2,516°F); specific gravity 6.691; valence 3, 5.
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See Periodic Table
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of antimony
1375–1425; late Middle English antimonie < Medieval Latin antimōnium, perhaps < dialectal Arabic uthmud
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The material contains micrometer-scale gold crenelated structures positioned above an insulating layer and a semiconductor made from a mixture of indium and antimony.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026
Sunshine Silver Mining & Refining, which also mines copper and antimony, a flame retardant mineral, could be a backdoor AI play given the demand for wiring in data centers.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
In October, China's Ministry of Commerce announced new restrictions on exports of silver as well as the metals tungsten and antimony to "to step up the protection of resources and the environment".
From BBC ● Dec. 30, 2025
About 60% of the world’s antimony is mined in China, which put heavy restrictions on its export in response to trade restrictions from the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 8, 2025
She started shaking some of the antimony over his scalp and gave a rueful sigh.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
