rare-earth element

[ rair-urth ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. any of a group of closely related metallic elements, comprising the lanthanides, scandium, and yttrium, that are chemically similar by virtue of having the same number of valence electrons.

rare-earth element

/ râr′ûrth′ /

1. See lanthanide

Word History and Origins

Origin of rare-earth element¹

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

This ring is packed with 648 22cm-long neodymium magnets laced with another rare-earth element, dysprosium, which makes them much less liable to become demagnetised.

From BBC

The price of dysprosium, a “heavy” rare-earth element used in magnets for car motors, almost tripled to $305 a kilogram.

From BusinessWeek

"The country's grasp on the rare-earth element industry could one day give China a strong technological advantage and increase its military superiority," she wrote.

From Wall Street Journal

The company’s Mountain Pass mine, discovered in 1949 by uranium prospectors who noticed local radioactivity, dominated rare-earth element production through the 1980s.

From New York Times