tantalum

noun

tan·​ta·​lum ˈtan-tə-ləm How to pronounce tantalum (audio)
: 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 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 Rwanda also earns sizable sums exporting tin, tantalum, and niobium—much of it also mined in Congo, according to a UN expert group and Global Witness. Jason K. Stearns, Foreign Affairs, 26 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for tantalum 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tantalum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin Tantalus; from its inability to absorb acid

First Known Use

1809, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tantalum was in 1809

Dictionary Entries Near tantalum

Cite this Entry

“Tantalum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tantalum. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

tantalum

noun
tan·​ta·​lum ˈtant-ᵊl-əm How to pronounce tantalum (audio)
: 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 How to pronounce tantalum (audio)
: 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

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