rhodium

noun

rho·​di·​um ˈrō-dē-əm How to pronounce rhodium (audio)
: a rare silvery-white hard ductile metallic element that is resistant to acids, sometimes occurs naturally in pure form but is usually obtained from nickel ores, and is used especially as a catalyst and in platinum alloys see Chemical Elements Table

Examples of rhodium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Lastly, the slices are plated with rhodium, which provides a protective layer that wards off corrosion of the iron-rich meteorite. Nancy Olson, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 The ring’s band and settings are made with sterling silver and plated rhodium, and the diamond-esque gemstone and mini gems on the initial are both cubic zirconia. Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 20 Dec. 2023 Catalytic converter thefts across the nation, including Bucks County, have skyrocketed over the past few years, mainly because of three precious metals found inside — rhodium, platinum and palladium. Greg Wehner, Fox News, 28 June 2023 The average monthly price per ounce of rhodium is now back at 2019 levels. Jasmine Cui, NBC News, 5 Nov. 2023 The group chose to work with a particular strange metal made of ytterbium, rhodium and silicon because Natelson and Si’s longtime collaborator, Silke Bühler-Paschen of the Vienna University of Technology, had worked out how to grow the material in films just dozens of nanometers thick. Quanta Magazine, 28 Nov. 2023 Or they may be broken open, and the metallic honeycombs mined for platinum, palladium and rhodium—precious metals that can be sold on the secondary market. Michael Harley, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023 This line chart shows the average price per ounce of rhodium. Jasmine Cui, NBC News, 5 Nov. 2023 The catalytic converter contains valuable precious metals including rhodium, palladium and platinum, which can fetch hundreds of dollars in resale on the black market. Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rhodium.' 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

Greek rhódon "rose" + -ium; from the rose color of a chlorine compound of the metal obtained during its isolation

Note: Name introduced by the discoverer of the metal, William Hyde wollaston, in "On a new Metal, found in crude Platina," "read June 24, 1804," Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London for the Year 1804, Part II, p. 419: "My inquiries having terminated more successfully than I had expected, I design the present Memoir to prove the existence, and to examine the properties, of another metal, hitherto unknown, which may not improperly be distinguished by the name of Rhodium, from the rose-colour of a solution of the salts containing it."

First Known Use

1804, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rhodium was in 1804

Dictionary Entries Near rhodium

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

rhodium

noun
rho·​di·​um ˈrōd-ē-əm How to pronounce rhodium (audio)
: a rare silvery white hard metallic element that is resistant to attack by acids, occurs in nickel ores, and is used in platinum alloys see element

Medical Definition

rhodium

noun
rho·​di·​um ˈrōd-ē-əm How to pronounce rhodium (audio)
: a white hard ductile metallic element that is resistant to attack by acids, occurs in platinum ores, and is used in alloys with platinum
symbol Rh
see Chemical Elements Table

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