dysprosium

noun

dys·​pro·​si·​um dis-ˈprō-zē-əm How to pronounce dysprosium (audio)
-zh(ē-)əm
: an element of the rare-earth group that forms highly magnetic compounds see Chemical Elements Table

Examples of dysprosium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The groups started with gases of dysprosium and erbium atoms, which are intrinsically magnetic enough to act like little bar magnets. —Quanta Magazine, 6 Nov. 2024 Phoenix Tailings focuses on extracting neodymium, neodymium-praseodymium alloy, dysprosium, and ferro dysprosium alloy, which are rare earth metals used in permanent magnets for EVs, wind turbines, jet engines and other applications. —IEEE Spectrum, 31 May 2024 The aquatic plant contains the elements platinum and rhodium, along with rare-earth elements like neodymium, lanthanum, yttrium and dysprosium. —Devika Rao, theweek, 22 May 2024 However, rare-earth elements like neodymium and dysprosium, which are required for the most powerful magnets for the latter, also represent a major choke point. —IEEE Spectrum, 15 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dysprosium 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, from Greek dysprósitos "difficult to access" (from dys- dys- + prósitos "approachable," verbal adjective of próseimi, prosiénai "to go toward, approach," from pros- pros- + eîmi, iénai "to go") + New Latin -ium -ium — more at issue entry 1

Note: The element was named by the first person to isolate it, the French chemist Paul Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran (1838-1912), reported in "Le holmine (ou terre X de M. Soret) contient au moins deux radicaux métalliques," Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l'Académie des Sciences, tome 102 (janvier-juin 1886), pp. 1003-04. The name was apparently given because several hundred fractionations ("plusieurs centaines de fractionnements") were required to isolate a sufficient amount of it to test spectroscopically.

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dysprosium was in 1886

Dictionary Entries Near dysprosium

dyspnoea

dysprosium

dysrhythmia

Cite this Entry

“Dysprosium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dysprosium. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

dysprosium

noun
dys·​pro·​si·​um dis-ˈprō-zē-əm How to pronounce dysprosium (audio)
-zh(ē-)əm
: a chemical element that forms very magnetic compounds see element

Medical Definition

dysprosium

noun
dys·​pro·​si·​um dis-ˈprō-zē-əm How to pronounce dysprosium (audio) -zh(ē-)əm How to pronounce dysprosium (audio)
: an element of the rare-earth group that forms highly magnetic compounds
—symbol Dy see Chemical Elements Table

More from Merriam-Webster on dysprosium

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dysprosium

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

9 Superb Owl Words

15 Words That Used to Mean Something Different
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...