trace element

See synonyms for trace element on Thesaurus.com
nounBiochemistry.
  1. any element that is required in minute quantities for physiological functioning.

Origin of trace element

1
First recorded in 1935–40
  • Also called trace mineral.

Words Nearby trace element

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How to use trace element in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for trace element

trace element

noun
  1. any of various chemical elements, such as iron, manganese, zinc, copper, and iodine, that occur in very small amounts in organisms and are essential for many physiological and biochemical processes

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for trace element

trace element

[ trās ]


  1. An element present in an organism in only very small amounts but essential for normal metabolism. Iodine and cobalt are trace elements required by humans.

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