lutetium

noun

lu·​te·​tium lü-ˈtē-sh(ē-)əm How to pronounce lutetium (audio)
: a metallic chemical element of the rare-earth group that has few practical applications but is sometimes used as a catalyst in cracking and as a radiation source for treatment of certain cancers see Chemical Elements Table

Examples of lutetium 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.
Anchored at these target sites, the lutetium isotope then releases two types of radiation that aid in cancer treatment. Discover Magazine, 8 July 2024 Numerous other therapies now in clinical trials also use radioactive lutetium and other beta-emitting isotopes. Discover Magazine, 8 July 2024 Since 2015 a working group at the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry has been refereeing a debate over which elements should go in the third column of the table: lanthanum and actinium (elements 57 and 89) or lutetium and lawrencium (71 and 103). Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 14 May 2024 What gave Dias’ most recent paper its pizzazz was its claim to have produced superconductivity in a compound of the artificial metal lutetium and hydrogen and doped with nitrogen, at about 69.5 degrees Fahrenheit and 145,000 pounds per square inch of pressure. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2023 See all Example Sentences for lutetium 

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin Lutetia, ancient name of Paris

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lutetium was in 1907

Dictionary Entries Near lutetium

Cite this Entry

“Lutetium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lutetium. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

lutetium

noun
lu·​te·​tium lü-ˈtē-sh(ē-)əm How to pronounce lutetium (audio)
: a soft metallic chemical element see element

Medical Definition

lutetium

noun
lu·​te·​tium
variants also lutecium
: a metallic element of the rare-earth group
symbol Lu
see Chemical Elements Table

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