hafnium

noun

haf·​ni·​um ˈhaf-nē-əm How to pronounce hafnium (audio)
: a metallic element that occurs especially in zirconium minerals and is used in control rods for nuclear reactors see Chemical Elements Table

Examples of hafnium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Our experiment uses hafnium monofluoride molecules because hafnium, with 72 protons in its nucleus, is one of the heaviest metals in the periodic table that isn't radioactive. Luke Caldwell, Scientific American, 16 Jan. 2024 It’s constructed from alternating thin films of hafnium oxide (HfO2) and glass sitting on top of a silver reflective layer. Sid Assawaworrarit, IEEE Spectrum, 25 Nov. 2023 Any hafnium stays happily in the mantle and keeps on decaying into tungsten, which then remains in the silicate mantle if no further core formation occurs. Linda T. Elkins-Tanton, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2016 This decay happens on a regular schedule: half the hafnium turns into tungsten in nine million years. Linda T. Elkins-Tanton, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2016 One radioactive isotope of the element hafnium prefers to stay in silicate minerals, such as those in Earth's mantle. Linda T. Elkins-Tanton, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2016 The researchers fabricated a prototype circuit incorporating 2,048 hafnium oxide memristors on top of 30,080 CMOS transistors on the same chip. IEEE Spectrum, 21 Feb. 2023 Raman’s radiator — dubbed the photonic radiative cooler — is constructed with seven alternating layers of silicon dioxide and hafnium oxide placed on a reflective base layer of silver. Carl Engelking, Discover Magazine, 3 Dec. 2014 Before plants, there was no connection between the oxygen and hafnium-lutetium composition of zircon because they were both being set in the Earth's mantle when the magma formed. Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 19 Sep. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hafnium.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Hafnia (Copenhagen), Denmark

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hafnium was in 1923

Dictionary Entries Near hafnium

Cite this Entry

“Hafnium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hafnium. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

hafnium

noun
haf·​ni·​um ˈhaf-nē-əm How to pronounce hafnium (audio)
: a gray metallic element that is useful because of its ready absorption of neutrons see element

Medical Definition

hafnium

noun
haf·​ni·​um ˈhaf-nē-əm How to pronounce hafnium (audio)
: a metallic element that resembles zirconium chemically, occurs in zirconium minerals, and readily absorbs neutrons
symbol Hf
see Chemical Elements Table

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