germanium
noun
ger·ma·ni·um
| \ (ˌ)jər-ˈmā-nē-əm
\
\
Definition of germanium
: a grayish-white hard brittle metalloid element that resembles silicon and is used especially in optical and semiconductor materials and as a catalyst — see Chemical Elements Table
Examples of germanium in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These sheets were floated on germanium, allowing them to align with a vertical silicon surface. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Memristors built with 2-nanometer-thick parts," 14 Nov. 2018 The company bakes silicon and germanium at extremely high temperatures, up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit, which allows them to realign atoms into a perfect diamond lattice structure. — Paul Brinkmann, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Vibration from Orlando City Stadium construction damaged high-tech business next door, lawsuit says," 31 May 2018 This conferred a particular advantage: A high-powered laser, tuned to the right frequency, can selectively melt the germanium. — Nathan Hurst, Smithsonian, "A New Color Printing Technique Borrows From Bird Feathers," 5 May 2017 This conferred a particular advantage: A high-powered laser, tuned to the right frequency, can selectively melt the germanium. — Nathan Hurst, Smithsonian, "A New Color Printing Technique Borrows From Bird Feathers," 5 May 2017 This conferred a particular advantage: A high-powered laser, tuned to the right frequency, can selectively melt the germanium. — Nathan Hurst, Smithsonian, "A New Color Printing Technique Borrows From Bird Feathers," 5 May 2017 For these components, more exotic materials like indium phosphide, gallium arsenide, and germanium work better. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "How the lidar-on-a-chip technology GM just bought probably works," 11 Oct. 2017 The starting point is a thin film of germanium, stretched over a thin, flexible, plastic surface, with microscopic circular columns extending upward. — Nathan Hurst, Smithsonian, "A New Color Printing Technique Borrows From Bird Feathers," 5 May 2017 Current silicon-germanium FinFETs will probably get us to 7nm, and the use of exotic III-V semiconductors might take the finFET a step further to 5nm. — Sebastian Anthony, Ars Technica, "IBM unveils world’s first 5nm chip," 5 June 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'germanium.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for germanium
germanium
noun
ger·ma·ni·um
| \ jər-ˈmā-nē-əm
\
\
Kids Definition of germanium
: a white hard brittle element used as a semiconductor
germanium
noun
ger·ma·ni·um
| \ (ˌ)jər-ˈmā-nē-əm
\
\
Medical Definition of germanium
: a grayish white hard brittle metalloid element that resembles silicon and is used as a semiconductor
—symbol Ge
— see Chemical Elements Table
Keep scrolling for more