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tantalum
noun
tan·ta·lum
ˈtan-tə-ləm
: a gray-white ductile acid-resisting metallic element found combined in rare minerals (such as tantalite and columbite) and used especially in electronic components see Chemical Elements Table
Examples of tantalum in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That could determine whether HB is able to replicate its business elsewhere—for example, in nearby Democratic Republic of Congo, home to giant reserves of copper, tantalum, and other minerals, and where three-quarters of the world’s cobalt is mined.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2024
Sealing the spacecraft’s vault—its nerve center—is a plate forged from tantalum metal.
—Nadia Drake, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2024
The action cuts to a pit mine where workers using hand tools extract coltan (columbite-tantalite), a mineral used to create the tantalum capacitors that power devices like our mobile phones, personal computers, and cameras.
—Ruby Thélot, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2024
Clipper is no exception: The electronics vault is capped by a dense tantalum metal plate etched with Limón’s bespoke poem, which connects the wonder of living on our watery planet with Europa’s own ocean.
—science.org, 19 Sep. 2024
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Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Latin Tantalus; from its inability to absorb acid
First Known Use
1809, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near tantalum
Cite this Entry
“Tantalum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tantalum. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
tantalum
noun
tan·ta·lum
ˈtant-ᵊl-əm
: a gray-white metallic element found in rare minerals and used especially in electronic devices see element
Medical Definition
tantalum
noun
tan·ta·lum
ˈtant-ᵊl-əm
: a hard ductile gray-white acid-resisting metallic element of the vanadium family found combined in rare minerals and sometimes used in surgical implants and sutures
—symbol Ta
see Chemical Elements Table
More from Merriam-Webster on tantalum
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tantalum
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