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Molybdenum
Definitions
- 1 A chemical element (symbol Mo) with an atomic number of 42: a silvery metal, not found as a free element, used in steel alloys. countable, uncountable
"The metals at preſent amount to 21 ; only 11 of which were known before the year 1730. Their names are gold, ſilver, platinum, mercury, copper, iron, tin, lead, zinc, antimony, biſmuth, arſenic, cobalt, nickel, manganeſe, tungſten, molybdenum, uranium, tellurium, titanium, chromum."
- 2 a polyvalent metallic element that resembles chromium and tungsten in its properties; used to strengthen and harden steel wordnet
- 3 A single atom of this element. countable, uncountable
"a quadruple bond between molybdenums"
Etymology
From New Latin molybdaenum, from molybdaena (“any of various substances resembling lead”), from Ancient Greek μολύβδαινα (molúbdaina, “a plummet, piece of lead”), from μόλυβδος (mólubdos, “lead; graphite”), from an Anatolian word cognate with Lydian 𐤪𐤠𐤭𐤦𐤥𐤣𐤠 (mariwda, “dark”), from Proto-Indo-European *morkʷ-iyo-, from a root *morkʷ- (“dark”), cognate with English murk. Cf. Latin plumbum nigrum 'lead'. The suffix is + -um (“a chemical element”). Attested since the last quarter of 18th century.
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