niobium

noun

ni·​o·​bi·​um nī-ˈō-bē-əm 

: a lustrous light gray ductile metallic element that resembles tantalum chemically and is used in alloys see Chemical Elements Table

Examples of niobium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Gold is abundant in the region, which also has rich deposits of rare metals such as coltan, used to make capacitors, and niobium, used to make superalloys for jet engines and hypersonic missiles. —Emmet Livingstone, The Dial, 20 Mar. 2025

Other critical minerals are associated with these deposits, especially zirconium, tantalum and niobium, in undetermined but potentially significant amounts. —Scott L. Montgomery, The Conversation, 11 Mar. 2025

Zoom out: Ukraine, according to its national Geological Survey, has largely untapped reserves of minerals like tantalum, beryllium and niobium. —Ben Berkowitz, Axios, 20 Feb. 2025

These materials include the rare earth metals graphite, niobium, platinum group metals, molybdenum, tantalum and titanium. —Sam Meredith, CNBC, 17 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin Niobe; from its occurrence in tantalite

First Known Use

1845, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for niobium

• dendrobium
• rhizobium
• haematobium

Kids Definition

niobium

noun

ni·​o·​bi·​um nī-ˈō-bē-əm 

: a shiny gray metallic element used in alloys see element

Medical Definition

niobium

noun

ni·​o·​bi·​um nī-ˈō-bē-əm 

: a lustrous light gray ductile metallic element that resembles tantalum chemically and is used in alloys

—symbol Nb

called also columbium

see Chemical Elements Table