noun
tellurium
tih-LYOOR-ee-um
Tellurium (noun) means a rare, brittle, silver-white chemical element with the symbol Te and atomic number 52, classed as a metalloid. Example: “Tellurium has the symbol Te.”
noun
1
technical A rare, brittle, silver-white chemical element with the symbol Te and atomic number 52, classed as a metalloid.
"Tellurium has the symbol Te."
"Tellurium is a metalloid rather than a true metal."
"The periodic table lists tellurium as element 52."
How to use tellurium
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA brittle, silver-white element with atomic number 52 and symbol Te.
When to use it
It is a technical term used in chemistry and mineralogy.
Common pairings
the element tellurium
tellurium atom
symbol for tellurium
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_____ has the symbol Te.
Etymology
The word is New Latin, coined by the German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth in 1798. It combines the Latin tellus, meaning earth, with the suffix -ium.
Rhymes for tellurium
See all rhymes for tellurium →Frequently asked questions
What is tellurium?
Tellurium is the chemical element with atomic number 52 and symbol Te. It is a rare, brittle, mildly toxic, silver-white metalloid.
Who named tellurium?
The name was coined in 1798 by the German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth.
Where does the word tellurium come from?
It comes from New Latin, built on the Latin word tellus, meaning earth.
What is the meaning of tellurium?
"tellurium" (noun) means a rare, brittle, silver-white chemical element with the symbol Te and atomic number 52, classed as a metalloid.
