indium

[in-dee-uh m] /ˈɪn di əm/

noun, Chemistry

a rare metallic element, soft, white, malleable, and easily fusible, found combined in various ore minerals, especially sphalerite: so called from the two indigo-blue lines in its spectrum. Symbol: In; atomic weight: 114.82; atomic number: 49; specific gravity: 7.3 at 20°C.

Origin

1860-65; < Neo-Latin, equivalent to ind(icum) indigo + -ium -ium

Examples from the web for indium

The researchers layered two semiconducting materials, indium gallium arsenide and aluminum indium arsenide, into a single wafer.
The best mix they came up with was an alloy of gallium and indium.
indium tin oxide is a thin-film conductor used in flat-panel televisions.
The material currently used to make transparent electronics, indium tin oxide, is expensive and brittle.
It's made of indium phosphide, a semiconductor prized for its optical properties.
Finally, a thin coating of indium tin oxide is deposited to serve as an electrode.
Other companies have tried to compete with silicon by using higher-efficiency thin-film panels of copper indium gallium selenide.
The same group previously put nano-generators on indium tin oxide electrodes.

British Dictionary definitions for indium

indium

/ˈɪndɪəm/

noun

a rare soft silvery metallic element associated with zinc ores: used in alloys, electronics, and electroplating. Symbol: In; atomic no: 49; atomic wt: 114.82; valency: 1, 2, or 3; relative density: 7.31; melting pt: 156.63°C; boiling pt: 2073°C

Word Origin

C19: New Latin, from indigo + -ium

indium in Medicine

indium in·di·um (ĭn'dē-əm)
n.
Symbol In
A soft malleable metallic element found primarily in ores of zinc. Atomic number 49; atomic weight 114.82; melting point 156.60°C; boiling point 2,100°C; specific gravity 7.31; valence 1, 2, 3.

indium in Science

indium

(ĭn'dē-əm)
Symbol In
A soft, malleable, silvery-white metallic element that occurs mainly in ores of zinc and lead. It is used in the manufacture of semiconductors, in bearings for aircraft engines, and as a plating over silver in mirrors. Atomic number 49; atomic weight 114.82; melting point 156.61°C; boiling point 2,080°C; specific gravity 7.31; valence 1, 2, 3. See Periodic Table.