a toxic silvery-white metallic element occurring chiefly in carnotite and vanadinite and used in steel alloys, high-speed tools, and as a catalyst. Symbol: V; atomic no: 23; atomic wt: 50.9415; valency: 2–5; relative density: 6.11; melting pt: 1910±10°C; boiling pt: 3409°C
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
va•na•di•um
(və nā′dē əm),USA pronunciation n. [Chem.]
- Chemistrya rare element occurring in certain minerals and obtained as a light-gray powder with a silvery luster or as a ductile metal: used as an ingredient of steel to toughen it and increase its shock resistance. Symbol: V;
at. wt.: 50.942;
at. no.: 23;
sp. gr.: 5.96.
- Icelandic Vanad(ís) epithet of Freya (Vana, genitive of Vanir Vanir + dís goddess) + Neo-Latin -ium -ium
- Neo-Latin (1830)
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'vanadium' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
V
- V, v
- alloy steel
- ferrovanadium
- roscoelite
- vanadic
- vanadic acid
- vanadinite
- vanadium pentoxide
- vanadium steel
- vanadous