trace element
nounDefinition of trace element
: a chemical element present in minute quantities
especially
: a micronutrient (such as iodine, iron, and zinc) with an optimum daily intake of typically less than 100 milligrams a day
Examples of trace element in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
One of the richest stores of data inside a core, coral detectives are finding, is its year-by-year record of trace elements in ocean water. — Quanta Magazine, "Cores From Coral Reefs Hold Secrets of the Seas’ Past and Future," 29 May 2018 One of the richest stores of data inside a core, coral detectives are finding, is its year-by-year record of trace elements in ocean water. — Quanta Magazine, "Cores From Coral Reefs Hold Secrets of the Seas’ Past and Future," 29 May 2018 One of the richest stores of data inside a core, coral detectives are finding, is its year-by-year record of trace elements in ocean water. — Quanta Magazine, "Cores From Coral Reefs Hold Secrets of the Seas’ Past and Future," 29 May 2018 One of the richest stores of data inside a core, coral detectives are finding, is its year-by-year record of trace elements in ocean water. — Quanta Magazine, "Cores From Coral Reefs Hold Secrets of the Seas’ Past and Future," 29 May 2018 One of the richest stores of data inside a core, coral detectives are finding, is its year-by-year record of trace elements in ocean water. — Quanta Magazine, "Cores From Coral Reefs Hold Secrets of the Seas’ Past and Future," 29 May 2018 Now the case is once again back in the news, thanks to Richard Ash, a geologist at the University of Maryland, College Park who specializes in analyzing trace elements in geologic samples. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Study brings us one step closer to solving 1994 thallium poisoning case," 25 Dec. 2018 For blue sapphires, traditionally the most sought-after color, the important trace elements are iron and titanium. — C. Claiborne Ray, New York Times, "From One Mineral, Brilliant Reds and Bright Blues," 22 June 2018 As the fish moves from river to river, trace elements in the water change. — Kevin Davenport, idahostatesman, "Symphony of the salmon: How scientists are learning by putting fish migration to music," 9 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'trace element.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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