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lutetium
noun
lu·te·tium
lü-ˈtē-sh(ē-)əm
: a metallic chemical element of the rare-earth group that has few practical applications but is sometimes used as a catalyst in cracking and as a radiation source for treatment of certain cancers see Chemical Elements Table
Examples of lutetium in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Anchored at these target sites, the lutetium isotope then releases two types of radiation that aid in cancer treatment.
—Discover Magazine, 8 July 2024
Numerous other therapies now in clinical trials also use radioactive lutetium and other beta-emitting isotopes.
—Discover Magazine, 8 July 2024
Since 2015 a working group at the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry has been refereeing a debate over which elements should go in the third column of the table: lanthanum and actinium (elements 57 and 89) or lutetium and lawrencium (71 and 103).
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 14 May 2024
What gave Dias’ most recent paper its pizzazz was its claim to have produced superconductivity in a compound of the artificial metal lutetium and hydrogen and doped with nitrogen, at about 69.5 degrees Fahrenheit and 145,000 pounds per square inch of pressure.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2023
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Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Latin Lutetia, ancient name of Paris
First Known Use
1907, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near lutetium
Cite this Entry
“Lutetium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lutetium. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
lutetium
noun
lu·te·tium
lü-ˈtē-sh(ē-)əm
: a soft metallic chemical element see element
Medical Definition
lutetium
noun
lu·te·tium
variants
also lutecium
: a metallic element of the rare-earth group
—symbol Lu
see Chemical Elements Table
More from Merriam-Webster on lutetium
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lutetium
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