rhizoverbBeta
DictionaryiridiumChemical element
noun

iridium

ih-RID-ee-um/ɪˈrɪdiəm/

A hard, dense, silvery metallic chemical element.

A small sample of silvery iridium rests in the specimen dish.

Small dense-looking silvery-white metal sample in a plain specimen dish with only essential functional element label 'Ir'; no rainbow-colored metal.
Etymology
iridGreekrainbow
+iumLatinchemical element

The “rainbow” root refers to the striking variety of colors iridium produced while dissolving in acid. Its name captures that chemical display rather than its silvery-white appearance.

In context

Discovery Everyday2:11
Iridium is a silvery-white transition metal, and it is nearly as dense as osmium, trailing by a microscopic margin. While osmium wins on density, iridium wins the prize for being the most corrosion resistant material on the entire planet.
What are Iridium and Osmium? The hardest and densest space metals on Earth?

More examples

  • Iridium is a dense metallic element.
  • The laboratory analyzed the iridium concentration in the clay.
  • The manufacturer used an iridium alloy for the component.

Forms

iridium

Similar words

platinum
Platinum is a different metallic element; both belong to the platinum-group metals.
osmium
Osmium is another dense platinum-group element with different chemical properties.