IRIDIUM

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does iridium mean? 

• IRIDIUM (noun)
  The noun IRIDIUM has 1 sense:

1. a heavy brittle metallic element of the platinum group; used in alloys; occurs in natural alloys with platinum or osmium

  Familiarity information: IRIDIUM used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• IRIDIUM (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A heavy brittle metallic element of the platinum group; used in alloys; occurs in natural alloys with platinum or osmium

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

atomic number 77; Ir; iridium

Hypernyms ("iridium" is a kind of...):

metal; metallic element (any of several chemical elements that are usually shiny solids that conduct heat or electricity and can be formed into sheets etc.)

 Context examples 

It is defined as the mass of an international prototype in the form of a platinum-iridium cylinder kept at Sevres in France.

(Kilogram, NCI Thesaurus)

The scientists discovered a new kind of magnetic state when they created super-thin artificial structures containing iridium and nickel.

(Iridium 'loses its identity' when interfaced with nickel, National Science Foundation)

The team studied samples from Martian meteorites and realized that an overabundance of rare metals — such as platinum, osmium and iridium — in the planet's mantle required an explanation.

(Ancient Asteroid Impact Explains Martian Geological Mysteries, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Iridium-192 emits gamma rays and has a half-life of 74 days.

(Iridium Ir 192, NCI Thesaurus)

The mantle abundances of certain trace elements such as platinum, iridium and gold, which tend to bond chemically with metallic iron, are much higher than what would be expected to result from core formation.

(NASA-funded Simulations Show How Massive Collisions Delivered Metal to Early Earth, NASA)

The nickel has an unexpectedly strong impact on iridium ions, according to Rutgers University physicist Jak Chakhalian.

(Iridium 'loses its identity' when interfaced with nickel, National Science Foundation)

A radioactive isotope of iridium.

(Iridium Ir 192, NCI Thesaurus)

Iridium "loses its identity," and its electrons act oddly, in an ultra-thin film when interfaced with nickel-based layers.

(Iridium 'loses its identity' when interfaced with nickel, National Science Foundation)

The scientists found that at the interface between a layer containing nickel and one with iridium, an unusual form of magnetism emerges that strongly affects the behavior of spin and orbital motion of electrons.

(Iridium 'loses its identity' when interfaced with nickel, National Science Foundation)