What does telluride mean?
Telluride is the general chemical name for a compound formed when tellurium combines with another element, most often a metal. Compounds such as cadmium telluride and lead telluride have important practical uses: cadmium telluride is employed in some thin-film solar cells, while lead telluride is used in thermoelectric devices that generate electricity from temperature differences. In mineralogy, telluride can also describe naturally occurring tellurium compounds, some of which have been valuable ores of gold. The word is primarily technical and is most common in chemistry, mineralogy, materials science, and related technical writing. Its name reflects its connection with tellurium, whose own name ultimately comes from the Latin tellus, meaning “earth.”
nounA telluride is a chemical compound in which tellurium is combined with another element, typically a metal. In mineralogy, the term can also refer to a mineral or mineral group consisting of tellurium compounds.
- A chemical compound of tellurium with another element, especially a metal.
- A mineral or mineral group consisting of tellurium compounds.
"Cadmium telluride is used in some thin-film photovoltaic devices."
"The mine contains gold in the form of a naturally occurring telluride."
"Lead telluride is used in thermoelectric materials because it can generate electricity from a temperature difference."
The plural is used for multiple tellurium compounds or for a class of such compounds.
"Silver tellurides occur in several rare mineral deposits."
Telluride is a chemical workhorse hiding in plain sight: cadmium telluride helps convert sunlight into electricity in some solar panels.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does telluride come from?
Telluride is formed in English from tellurium plus the chemical suffix -ide, a convention used for compounds and ions. Tellurium is a New Latin formation based on Latin tellus, “earth,” from which related terms such as telluric and tellurite also derive. The names therefore connect the chemical element and its compounds with an ancient word for the earth.
How telluride is actually used
In chemistry, the term is most commonly used for binary compounds of tellurium, often with a metal. In mineralogy, it can be used more broadly for tellurium-bearing mineral compounds.
Easily confused with telluride
Tellurium is the chemical element, whereas a telluride is a compound containing tellurium combined with another element.
A telluride contains the telluride anion, while a tellurite contains the tellurite anion; both are related to tellurium but are distinct chemical substances.