chromium
a lustrous, hard, brittle, metallic element used in alloy steels for hardness and corrosion resistance, as in stainless steel, and for plating other metals: chromium salts are used as pigments and mordants. Symbol: Cr; atomic weight: 51.996; atomic number: 24; specific gravity: 7.1.
Origin of chromium
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for chromium
/ (ˈkrəʊmɪəm) /
a hard grey metallic element that takes a high polish, occurring principally in chromite: used in steel alloys and electroplating to increase hardness and corrosion-resistance. Symbol: Cr; atomic no: 24; atomic wt: 51.9961; valency: 2, 3, or 6; relative density: 7.18–7.20; melting pt: 1863±20°C; boiling pt: 2672°C
Origin of chromium
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for chromium
[ krō′mē-əm ]
A hard, shiny, steel-gray metallic element that is rust-resistant and does not tarnish easily. It is used to plate other metals, to harden steel, and to make stainless steel and other alloys. Atomic number 24; atomic weight 51.996; melting point 1,890°C; boiling point 2,482°C; specific gravity 7.18; valence 2, 3, 6. See Periodic Table.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Browse