cadmium

[kad-mee-uh m] /ˈkæd mi əm/
noun
1.
a white, ductile divalent metallic element resembling tin, used in plating and in making certain alloys. Symbol: Cd; atomic weight: 112.41; atomic number: 48; specific gravity: 8.6 at 20°C.
Origin
1815-25; < Neo-Latin, equivalent to Latin cadm(īa) calamine (orig. Cadmēa terra < Greek Kadmeía gê Cadmean earth) + -ium -ium
Related forms
cadmic, adjective
Examples from the web for cadmium
  • Their cores contain paired clusters of atoms such as cadmium and selenium that combine to create a semiconductor.
  • The satellite was powered by large solar cells with nickel-cadmium cells as backup.
  • They exposed the cells to a battery of substances known to be either benign or toxic to the human liver, from caffeine to cadmium.
  • No injuries have been reported but cadmium is toxic if it is ingested by children and can cause adverse health conditions.
  • But they also found that the enhanced acidity led to dissolution of metals such as uranium, cobalt, cadmium and iron.
  • cadmium is used largely in batteries and pigments, for example in plastic products.
British Dictionary definitions for cadmium

cadmium

/ˈkædmɪəm/
noun
1.
a malleable ductile toxic bluish-white metallic element that occurs in association with zinc ores. It is used in electroplating, alloys, and as a neutron absorber in the control of nuclear fission. Symbol: Cd; atomic no: 48; atomic wt: 112.411; valency: 2; relative density: 8.65; melting pt: 321.1°C; boiling pt: 767°C
Word Origin
C19: from New Latin, from Latin cadmīa zinc ore, calamine, referring to the fact that both calamine and cadmium are found in the ore
Word Origin and History for cadmium
n.

bluish-white metal, 1822, discovered 1817 by German scientist Friedrich Strohmeyer, coined in Modern Latin from cadmia, a word used by ancient naturalists for various earths and oxides (especially zinc carbonate), from Greek kadmeia (ge) "Cadmean (earth)," from Kadmos "Cadmus," legendary founder of Boeotian Thebes. So called because the earth was first found in the vicinity of Thebes (Kadmeioi was an alternative name for "Thebans" since the time of Homer).

cadmium in Medicine

cadmium cad·mi·um (kād'mē-əm)
n.
Symbol Cd
A soft metallic element occurring primarily in zinc, copper, and lead ores that is used in low-friction fatigue-resistant alloys, solders, batteries, nuclear reactor shields, and electroplating. Atomic number 48; atomic weight 112.41; melting point 321.7°C; boiling point 767°C; specific gravity 8.65; valence 2.

cadmium in Science
cadmium
  (kād'mē-əm)   
Symbol Cd
A rare, soft, bluish-white metallic element that occurs mainly in zinc, copper, and lead ores. Cadmium is plated onto other metals and alloys to prevent corrosion, and it is used in rechargeable batteries and in nuclear control rods as a neutron absorber. Atomic number 48; atomic weight 112.41; melting point 320.9°C; boiling point 765°C; specific gravity 8.65; valence 2. See Periodic Table.