Definition of 'gallium'

Word Frequency

gallium in British

(ˈɡælɪəm )

noun

a silvery metallic element that is liquid for a wide temperature range. It occurs in trace amounts in some ores and is used in high-temperature thermometers and low-melting alloys. Gallium arsenide is a semiconductor. Symbol: Ga; atomic no: 31; atomic wt: 69.723; valency: 2 or 3; relative density: 5.904; melting pt: 29.77°C; boiling pt: 2205°C

Word origin of 'gallium'

C19: from New Latin, from Latin gallus cock, translation of French coq in the name of its discoverer, Lecoq de Boisbaudran, 19th-century French chemist

Word Frequency

gallium in American

(ˈgæliəm ; galˈēəm)

noun

a bluish-white, metallic chemical element, often a supercooled liquid at room temperature, used in semiconductors, LED's, lasers, etc., and as a substitute for mercury in high-temperature thermometers: symbol, Ga; at. no., 31

see the periodic table of elements in the Reference Supplement

Word origin of 'gallium'

ModL: so named (1875) by P. E. Lecoq de Boisbaudran (1838-1912), Fr chemist, after L Gallia, France, and as a pun on his name Lecoq (in L, gallus, a cock) + -ium

Example sentences containing 'gallium'

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The sniffer picked up silicone and traces of gallium arsenide, along with a long menu of materials. Dale Brown and Jim DeFelice DALE BROWN'S DREAMLAND (5) STRIKE ZONE (2004)

Word Lists

chemical, metal

Trends of 'gallium'

Used Occasionally. gallium is one of the 30000 most commonly used words in the Collins dictionary

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Nearby words of 'gallium'

Related Terms of 'gallium'

gallium arsenide

Source

Definition of gallium from the Collins English Dictionary

Parts of the sentence

Sentences consist of a number of parts, using different parts of speech. The most important parts of speech are: The subject, which is either a noun phrase(see The noun phrase) or a pronoun(see Pron...