noun
tellurium
teh-LOOR-ee-um/teˈlʊriəm/
A brittle, silvery chemical element used in alloys and semiconductors.
Manufacturers add tellurium to certain alloys to improve their machinability.
Etymology
Tellus gives this element an earth-based name, while -ium places it in the naming pattern used for metallic elements. Klaproth coined the name from these components.
In context
… electro refining of copper and nickel noble metals such as silver gold and the platinum group metals together with nonmetallic elements such as selenium and tellurium
More examples
- Tellurium is a brittle element with a silvery appearance.
- Some solar cells contain a semiconductor made with tellurium.
- The chemical symbol for tellurium is Te.
Forms
telluride noun — A compound containing tellurium and another element.