1 europium | Definition of europium

europium

noun
eu·​ro·​pi·​um | \ yu̇-ˈrƍ-pē-əm How to pronounce europium (audio) \

Definition of europium

: a divalent and trivalent metallic element of the rare-earth group found especially in monazite sand — see Chemical Elements Table

Examples of europium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The mine started operations in the 1950s by producing europium, which was used to make red colors in early televisions. Pamela Boykoff, CNN, "This company is America's best chance to loosen China's grip on rare earths," 3 July 2019 With names like europium, scandium and ytterbium, the bulk of rare earth minerals are extracted from mines in China, where lower wages and lax environmental standards make production cheaper and easier. Washington Post, "US-China trade war sparks worries about rare earth minerals," 8 June 2019 Yet the mine's role at the center of the U.S.-China faceoff over 17 elements with names such as neodymium, terbium and europium is not without irony. David J. Lynch, Anchorage Daily News, "China hints it will choke off U.S. ‘rare earths’ access. But it’s not that easy.," 11 June 2019 Yet the mine’s role at the center of the U.S.-China faceoff over 17 elements with names such as neodymium, terbium and europium is not without irony. David J. Lynch, Washington Post, "China hints it will choke off U.S. ‘rare earths’ access. But it’s not that easy.," 10 June 2019 The 16 million tons of materials could contain 780 years worth of yttrium, 620 years worth of europium, 420 years worth of terbium, and 730 years worth of dysprosium. Aj Willingham, CNN, "How the mud in this small Japanese island could change the global economy," 16 Apr. 2018 The iPhone contains a chorus of eight rare earth elements: neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium, gadolinium, europium, lanthanum, and yttrium. Edward Humes, WIRED, "Your iPhone’s 500,000-Mile Journey to Your Pocket," 12 Apr. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'europium.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of europium

1901, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for europium

New Latin, from Europa Europe

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More Definitions for europium

europium

noun
eu·​ro·​pi·​um | \ yu̇-ˈrƍ-pē-əm How to pronounce europium (audio) \

Medical Definition of europium

: a bivalent and trivalent metallic element of the rare-earth group found in monazite sand symbol Eu — see Chemical Elements Table

More from Merriam-Webster on europium

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about europium