Germanium

4 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Germanium \Ger*ma"ni*um\, n. [NL., fr. L. Germania Germany.]
     (Chem.)
     A rare element, discovered in 1885 in a silver ore
     (argyrodite) at Freiberg. It is a brittle, silver-white
     metal, chemically intermediate between the metals and
     nonmetals, resembles tin, and is in general identical with


     the predicted {ekasilicon}. Symbol Ge. Atomic number 32.
     Atomic weight 72.59. It has excellent semiconductor
     properties, and is used in transistors and diodes.
     [1913 Webster +PJC]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Ekasilicon \Ek`a*sil"i*con\, n. [Skr. [=e]ka one + E. silicon.]
     (Chem.)
     The name of a hypothetical element predicted by Mendeleev and
     afterwards discovered and named {germanium}; -- so called
     because it was a missing analogue of the silicon group. See
     {Germanium}, and cf. {Ekabor}. Also see {periodic table}.
     [1913 Webster +PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  germanium
       n : a brittle gray crystalline element that is a semiconducting
           metalloid (resembling silicon) used in transistors;
           occurs in germanite and argyrodite [syn: {Ge}, {atomic
           number 32}]

From Elements database 20001107 [elements]:

  germanium
  Symbol: Ge
  Atomic number: 32
  Atomic weight: 72.59
  Lustrous hard metalloid element, belongs to group 14 of the periodic
  table. Forms a large number of organometallic compounds. Predicted by
  Mendeleev in 1871, it was actually found in 1886 by Winkler.