mo·lyb·de·num

[muh-lib-duh-nuhm]
noun Chemistry.
a silver-white metallic element, used as an alloy with iron in making hard, high-speed cutting tools. Symbol: Mo; atomic weight: 95.94; atomic number: 42; specific gravity: 10.2.
Origin:
1810–20; < Neo-Latin, alteration of earlier molybdēna < Latin molybdaena < Greek molýbdaina galena, equivalent to mólybd(os) lead + -aina suffix of appurtenance

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To molybdenum
Collins
World English Dictionary
molybdenum (mɒˈlɪbdɪnəm) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
a very hard ductile silvery-white metallic element occurring principally in molybdenite: used mainly in alloys, esp to harden and strengthen steels. Symbol: Mo; atomic no: 42; atomic wt: 95.94; valency: 2--6; relative density: 10.22; melting pt: 2623°C; boiling pt: 4639°C
 
[C19: from New Latin, from Latin molybdaena galena, from Greek molubdaina, from molubdos lead]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Molybdenum is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
LEARN MORE UNUSUAL WORDS WITH WORD DYNAMO...
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

molybdenum
metallic element, 1816, from Gk. molybdos "lead," related to L. plumbum "lead," and like it probably borrowed from a lost Mediterranean language, perhaps Iberian. The element so called because of its resemblance to lead ore.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

molybdenum mo·lyb·de·num (mə-lĭb'də-nəm)
n.
Symbol Mo
A hard metallic element that is an essential trace element in plant and animal nutrition. Atomic number 42; atomic weight 95.94; melting point 2,623°C; boiling point 4,639°C; specific gravity 10.22 (at 20°C); valence 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Science Dictionary
molybdenum   (mə-lĭb'də-nəm)  Pronunciation Key 
Symbol Mo
A hard, silvery-white metallic element that resists corrosion and retains its strength at high temperatures. It is used to harden and toughen steel and to make high-temperature wiring. Molybdenum is an essential trace element in plant metabolism. Atomic number 42; atomic weight 95.94; melting point 2,617°C; boiling point 4,612°C; specific gravity 10.22 (at 20°C); valence 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. See Periodic Table.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Example sentences
Molybdenite, a relatively inexpensive mineral of molybdenum disulfide, has a layered structure similar to that of raw graphite.
It is a so-called companion metal, left over from molybdenum production, itself a by-product of copper mining.
Chromium, molybdenum and silicon make it more likely that the alloy will exhibit the bcc crystal structure at room temperature.
Sulfurous fractions are mixed with hydrogen and a cobalt-molybdenum catalyst, yielding hydrogen sulfide.
Partners:WordBloglinesCitysearchThe Daily BeastAsk AnswersAsk KidsLife123SendoriThesaurus
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
About PRIVACY POLICY Terms API Careers Advertise with Us Contact Us Suggest a Word Help
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature
FAVORITES
RECENT