Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A lustrous, iron-gray, malleable metallic rare-earth element that occurs chiefly in the minerals monazite and bastnaesite, exists in four allotropic states, is a constituent of pyrophoric alloys, and is used in metallurgy and in the manufacture of glass, incandescent mantles, and hydrocarbon combustion catalysts. Atomic number 58; atomic weight 140.12; melting point 799°C; boiling point 3,443°C; specific gravity 6.77; valence 3, 4. cross-reference: Periodic Table.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Chemical symbol, Ce; atomic weight, 141.5; specific gravity, 5.5. A metal discovered in 1803 by Klaproth, Hisinger, and Berzelius independently.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Chem.) A rare metallic element, occurring in the minerals cerite, allanite, monazite, etc. Symbol Ce. Atomic weight 141.5. It resembles iron in color and luster, but is soft, and both malleable and ductile. It tarnishes readily in the air.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A metallic chemical element (symbol Ce) with an atomic number of 58.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a ductile grey metallic element of the lanthanide series; used in lighter flints; the most abundant of the rare-earth group

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Cer(es) + –ium.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Ceres (“a recently discovered asteroid”) +‎ -ium.

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Examples

  • That set off a surge in prices for rare-earth minerals such as lanthanum, often used to make catalysts for refineries, and cerium, which is sometimes used in glass.

    China Inspects Rare-Earth Production 2011

  • Calcium and a rare earth element called cerium hint at the extent of the world's deserts, while sodium is a measure of ocean storminess and sea spray.

    Mining for Cold, Hard Facts 2010

  • It mined europium, which forms the basis of the high-efficiency lighting industry; lanthanum, without which it would be difficult to refine gas; and cerium, which is used to polish the glass on computer screens and cellphones.

    China increasing economic leverage by limiting 'rare earths' exports 2010

  • It mined europium, which forms the basis of the high-efficiency lighting industry; lathanam, without which it would be difficult to refine gas; and cerium, which is used to polish the glass on computer screens and cellphones.

    washingtonpost.com - John Pomfret 2010

  • Some glass makers use abrasive that contains a rare earth element called cerium, whose supply was already tight after the Chinese government cut rare earth exports for 2010 by 40

    FinanzNachrichten.de: Aktuelle Nachrichten 2010

  • It mined europium, which forms the basis of the high-efficiency lighting industry; lanthanum, without which it would be difficult to refine gas; and cerium, which is used to polish the glass on computer screens and cellphones.

    China increasing economic leverage by limiting 'rare earths' exports 2010

  • And there are other metals, such as cerium, which, giving a still more complex spectrum, would doubtless be still more numerously resolved.

    A Popular History of Astronomy During the Nineteenth Century Fourth Edition 1874

  • But those deposits are skewed toward "light" rare earths such as cerium and lanthanum, while "heavy" elements such as dysprosium, terbium and europium are more in focus in

    The Globe and Mail - Home RSS feed 2010

  • But those deposits are skewed toward "light" rare earths such as cerium and lanthanum, while "heavy" elements such as dysprosium, terbium and europium are more in focus in

    Canadian rare earth miners boosted by China cuts | Reuters 2010

  • But those deposits are skewed toward "light" rare earths such as cerium and lanthanum, while

    Thestar.com - Home Page 2010

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  • Ce.

    December 16, 2007