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yttrium

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yt⋅tri⋅um

[i-tree-uhm]
–noun Chemistry.
a rare trivalent metallic element, found in gadolinite and other minerals. Symbol: Y; atomic weight: 88.905; atomic number: 39; specific gravity: 4.47.


Origin:
1815–25; < NL, named after Ytterby. See ytterbia, -ium


yttric, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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yt·tri·um   (ĭt'rē-əm)   
n.   Symbol Y
A silvery metallic element, not a rare earth but occurring in nearly all rare-earth minerals, used in various metallurgical applications, notably to increase the strength of magnesium and aluminum alloys. Atomic number 39; atomic weight 88.906; melting point 1,522°C; boiling point 3,338°C; specific gravity 4.45 (25°C); valence 3. See Table at element.

[From yttria.]
yt'tric (ĭt'rĭk) adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

yttrium 
metallic rare-earth element, 1866, coined in Mod.L. by Swed. chemist Carl Gustaf Mosander (1797-1858) from Ytterby, name of a town in Sweden where it was discovered.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: yt·tri·um
Pronunciation: 'i-trE-&m
Function: noun
: a trivalent metallic element usually included among the rare earth elementswhich it resembles chemically and with which it occurs in minerals —symbol Y; —see ELEMENT table
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

yttrium yt·tri·um (ĭt'rē-əm)
n.
Symbol Y
A silvery, ductile, rare-earth element used in various alloys. Atomic number 39; atomic weight 88.905; melting point 1,522°C; boiling point 3,338°C; specific gravity 4.47 (25°C); valence 3.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Science Dictionary
yttrium   (ĭt'rē-əm)  Pronunciation Key 
Symbol Y
A silvery metallic element found in the same ores as elements of the lanthanide series. Yttrium is used to strengthen magnesium and aluminum alloys, to provide the red color in color televisions, and as a component of various optical and electronic devices. Atomic number 39; atomic weight 88.906; melting point 1,522°C; boiling point 3,338°C; specific gravity 4.45 (25°C); valence 3. See Periodic Table.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia

yttrium

(Y), chemical element, rare-earth metal of transition Group IIIb of the periodic table, used for red phosphors in colour television. Yttrium metal is silvery in colour, ductile, and relatively reactive; turnings of the metal ignite readily in air

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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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