terbium

[ tur-bee-uhm ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a rare-earth, metallic element present in certain minerals and yielding colorless salts. : Tb; : 65; : 158.924; : 8.25.

terbium

/ ˈtɜːbɪəm /

noun

1. a soft malleable silvery-grey element of the lanthanide series of metals, occurring in gadolinite and monazite and used in lasers and for doping solid-state devices. Symbol: Tb; atomic no: 65; atomic wt: 158.92534; valency: 3 or 4; relative density: 8.230; melting pt: 1356°C; boiling pt: 3230°C

terbium

/ tûr′bē-əm /

1. A soft, silvery-gray metallic element of the lanthanide series. It is used in color television tubes, x-ray machines, and lasers. Atomic number 65; atomic weight 158.925; melting point 1,356°C; boiling point 3,123°C; specific gravity 8.229; valence 3, 4.
2. See Periodic Table

Derived Forms

• ˈterbic, adjective

Other Words From

• terbic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of terbium¹

1835–45; (Yt)terb(y) , name of Swedish town where found + -ium. See ytterbium

Word History and Origins

Origin of terbium¹

C19: from New Latin, named after Ytterby, Sweden, village where it was discovered

Example Sentences

Using the well-known terbium titanate as an example, the team demonstrated that the method delivers highly reliable results.

From Science Daily

Within the matrix of the crystal, only a few of the terbium ions form pairs.

From Science Daily

The 17 elements are: lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, scandium, yttrium.

From Reuters

The team positioned a metal tip a few atoms wide less than 1 nanometer above organic molecules that contained iron and terbium atoms.

From Science Magazine

Heavy REEs—those with high atomic numbers, including dysprosium, yttrium, and terbium—are most commonly extracted from masses of clay formed through eons of weathering of igneous rocks such as granite.

From Science Magazine