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thulium
noun
thu·li·um
ˈthü-lē-əm
ˈthyü-
: a soft silvery metallic element of the rare-earth group see Chemical Elements Table
Examples of thulium in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The extra proton changes the erbium atom to thulium and release energy.
—Bayarbadrakh Baramsai, IEEE Spectrum, 27 Feb. 2022
Even the rarest rare earth, thulium, with atomic number 69, is 125 times more common than gold.
—Stanley Merzman, Discover Magazine, 21 Aug. 2018
The least abundant of these, thulium (Tm) and lutetium (Lu) are 200 times more abundant than gold.
—Willy Shih, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2021
The 794 nm photon interacts with a lithium-niobate crystal doped with thulium, so that the photon’s state becomes stored in the crystal.
—Anil Ananthaswamy, Scientific American, 19 June 2019
Electronic shielding by closed shells in thulium compounds.
—Spencer Reiss, WIRED, 1 May 2004
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Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Latin Thule
First Known Use
1879, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near thulium
Cite this Entry
“Thulium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thulium. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Kids Definition
thulium
noun
thu·li·um
ˈth(y)ü-lē-əm
: a soft rare metallic element see element
Medical Definition
thulium
noun
thu·li·um
ˈth(y)ü-lē-əm
: a trivalent metallic element of the rare-earth group
—symbol Tm
see Chemical Elements Table
More from Merriam-Webster on thulium
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about thulium
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