indium
/ˈɪndi.əm/ noun
Forms indiums
- noun A chemical element (symbol In) with an atomic number of 49: a soft silvery-white metal.
- noun A single atom of this element.
Synonyms
Etymology
Coined as a New Latin term from German Indigo (“indigo”), based on the color of its spectral lines.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A rare metallic element, discovered in certain ores of zinc, by means of its characteristic spectrum of two indigo blue lines; hence, its name. In appearance it resembles zinc, being white or lead gray, soft, malleable and easily fusible, but in its chemical relation it resembles aluminium or gallium. Symbol In. Atomic weight, 113.4.
Etymology [NL. See Indigo.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “indium”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details