germanium

American

[jer-mey-nee-uhm] / dʒərˈmeɪ ni əm /

noun

Chemistry.

a scarce, metallic, grayish-white element, normally tetravalent, used chiefly in transistors. Ge; 72.59; 32; 5.36 at 20°C.

germanium British

/ dʒɜːˈmeɪnɪəm /

noun

a brittle crystalline grey element that is a semiconducting metalloid, occurring principally in zinc ores and argyrodite: used in transistors, as a catalyst, and to strengthen and harden alloys. Symbol: Ge; atomic no: 32; atomic wt: 72.61; valency: 2 or 4; relative density: 5.323; melting pt: 938.35°C; boiling pt: 2834°C

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

germanium Scientific

/ jər-mā′nē-əm /

A brittle, crystalline, grayish-white metalloid element that is found in coal, in zinc ores, and in several minerals. It is used as a semiconductor and in wide-angle lenses. Atomic number 32; atomic weight 72.59; melting point 937.4°C; boiling point 2,830°C; specific gravity 5.323 (at 25°C); valence 2, 4.
See Periodic Table

Etymology

Origin of germanium

First recorded in 1885–90; German(y) + -ium

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Dead batteries yield lithium, cobalt and nickel; LED screens contain germanium; circuit boards hold platinum and palladium; hard disks store rare earths -- e‑waste has long been described as a "gold mine" for critical minerals.

From Barron's

It said its concentrate included other lesser-known critical minerals such as germanium and gallium.

From The Wall Street Journal

The deal would see supplies of zinc concentrate, including germanium and gallium, sent to U.S. markets.

From The Wall Street Journal

The team tested this idea by combining a compound made of manganese, cobalt, and germanium with another made of manganese, cobalt, and arsenic.

From Science Daily

In the United States, this category includes minerals such as cobalt, nickel, manganese, lithium, tellurium, germanium, and many others.

From Science Daily

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023