DictionaryRoot: tantalum
Modern Latin
tantalum
the metallic element tantalum
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noun
tantalum
TAN-tuh-lum/ˈtæntələm/
A hard, corrosion-resistant metallic chemical element used in electronics.
Etymology
Modern Latin tantalum was named for Tantalus, condemned to stand in water he could not drink. The discoverer partly linked the metal’s inability to absorb acid to that frustrated thirst.