transition metal

noun

: any of various metallic elements (such as chromium, iron, and nickel) that have valence electrons in two shells instead of only one

called also transition element

Examples of transition metal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One feature of compounds made with transition metals is their intense color. —Daniel Freedman, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2025

Crystal field theory makes predictions about how a transition metal ion’s structure is affected by the other atoms surrounding it. —Daniel Freedman, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2025

While energy transition metals show promise, other commodities faced sharp declines in 2024. —Frank Holmes, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025

Miners extracting energy transition metals like copper, nickel or cobalt operate under a law that's more than 150 years old and don't get charged a federal royalty — unlike coal, oil and gas. —Nick Sobczyk, Axios, 8 Jan. 2025

Both molybdenum disulphide and tungsten diselenide belong to a group called transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). —Ars Technica, 2 Jan. 2025

The high-voltage operation leads to issues such as transition metal dissolution, corrosion stress cracking and electrolyte oxidation, which result in poor coulombic efficiency and short cycle life. —Matthew Dawson, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024

The ore contains the rare transition metal niobium, which is used in steel production and becomes a superconductor when cooled to low temperatures. —Lori Youmshajekian, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2024

In other cases, e-waste might represent a significant supply of a specialized energy transition metal. —Maddie Stone / Grist, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

from their being transitional between the more highly and the less highly electropositive elements

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for transition metal

• betel
• cetyl
• kettle
• mettle
• nettle
• petal
• setal
• settle
• diacetyl
• gunmetal
• nonmetal
• resettle