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tungsten

[ tuhng-stuhn ]
/ ˈtʌŋ stən /

noun Chemistry.

a rare, metallic element having a bright-gray color, a metallic luster, and a high melting point, 3410° C, and found in wolframite, tungstite, and other minerals: used in alloys of high-speed cutting tools, electric-lamp filaments, etc. Symbol: W; atomic weight: 183.85; atomic number: 74; specific gravity: 19.3.

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Also called wolfram.

Origin of tungsten

1760–70; <Swedish, equivalent to tung heavy + sten stone

OTHER WORDS FROM tungsten

tung·sten·ic [tuhng-sten-ik], /tʌŋˈstɛn ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby tungsten

Tunga penetrans, tungo, tung oil, tung-oil tree, tungstate, tungsten, tungsten carbide, tungsten lamp, tungsten rating, tungsten steel, tungsten trioxide
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for tungsten

British Dictionary definitions for tungsten

tungsten
/ (ˈtʌŋstən) /

noun

a hard malleable ductile greyish-white element. It occurs principally in wolframite and scheelite and is used in lamp filaments, electrical contact points, X-ray targets, and, alloyed with steel, in high-speed cutting tools. Symbol: W; atomic no: 74; atomic wt: 183.85; valency: 2–6; relative density: 19.3; melting pt: 3422±20°C; boiling pt: 5555°CAlso called: wolfram

Word Origin for tungsten

C18: from Swedish tung heavy + sten stone
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for tungsten

tungsten
[ tŭng′stən ]

n. Symbol W

A hard brittle corrosion-resistant metallic element having the highest melting point of any metal and used in high-temperature structural materials and in electrical elements, notably lamp filaments. Atomic number 74.wolfram
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific definitions for tungsten

tungsten
[ tŭng′stən ]

W

A hard, gray to white metallic element that is very resistant to corrosion. It has the highest melting point of all elements, and it retains its strength at high temperatures. It is used to make light-bulb filaments and to increase the hardness and strength of steel. Atomic number 74; atomic weight 183.84; melting point 3,410°C; boiling point 5,900°C; specific gravity 19.3 (20°C); valence 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Also called wolfram See Periodic Table.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.