hafnium
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Related to hafnium: Hafnium carbide
haf·ni·um
(hăf′nē-əm)n. Symbol Hf
A brilliant, silvery, metallic element separated from ores of zirconium and used in nuclear reactor control rods, as a getter for oxygen and nitrogen, and in tungsten filament alloys. Atomic number 72; atomic weight 178.49; melting point 2,233°C; boiling point 4,603°C; specific gravity 13.31; valence 4. See Periodic Table.
[After Hafnia, Medieval Latin name for Copenhagen, Denmark.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
hafnium
(ˈhæfnɪəm)n
(Elements & Compounds) a bright metallic element found in zirconium ores: used in tungsten filaments and as a neutron absorber in nuclear reactors. Symbol: Hf; atomic no: 72; atomic wt: 178.49; valency: 4; relative density: 13.31; melting pt: 2231±20°C; boiling pt: 4603°C
[C20: New Latin, named after Hafnia, Latin name of Copenhagen + -ium]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
haf•ni•um
(ˈhæf ni əm, ˈhɑf-)n.
a toxic metallic element found in most zirconium minerals. Symbol: Hf; at. wt.: 178.49; at. no.: 72; sp. gr.: 12.1.
[1923; < New Latin Hafn(ia) Copenhagen + -ium2]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
haf·ni·um
(hăf′nē-əm) Symbol Hf A bright, silvery metallic element that occurs in zirconium ores. Because hafnium absorbs neutrons better than any other metal and is resistant to corrosion, it is used to control nuclear reactions. Atomic number 72. See Periodic Table.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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| Noun | 1. |  hafnium - a grey tetravalent metallic element that resembles zirconium chemically and is found in zirconium minerals; used in filaments for its ready emission of electronsmetal, metallic element - any of several chemical elements that are usually shiny solids that conduct heat or electricity and can be formed into sheets etc. |
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