What does tellurium mean?
Tellurium is a chemical element whose symbol is Te and whose atomic number is 52. It belongs to group 16 of the periodic table and is usually classified as a silvery metalloid, although its chemical properties resemble those of the nonmetals selenium and sulfur. Tellurium is rare in the Earth's crust and occurs mainly in minerals associated with gold, copper, and other metals. Its principal uses are in specialised semiconductor and infrared optical materials, as well as in alloys such as tellurium bronze. The word is chiefly encountered in scientific, industrial, and technical contexts. Its name derives from the Latin tellus, meaning “earth,” reflecting its historical association with terrestrial matter. To a general reader, tellurium is therefore both the name of an unusual chemical element and an example of how vocabulary from classical languages continues to give modern scientific substances their names.
nounTellurium is a chemical element with the symbol Te and atomic number 52, classified as a relatively rare, silvery metalloid in group 16 of the periodic table.
- The chemical element Te, atomic number 52, a silvery metalloid belonging to group 16 of the periodic table.
"Trace amounts of tellurium occur in certain ores and are used in specialised semiconductor and optical materials."
"Trace amounts of tellurium occur in certain ores and are used in specialised semiconductor and optical materials."
"The laboratory measured a trace of tellurium in the mineral sample."
Rare and generally unnecessary, because tellurium is normally treated as a mass noun.
"The report compared telluriums from several different mineral deposits."
Tellurium is the element named for Earth—and it is one of the rarest stable elements in the Earth's crust.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tellurium come from?
The English word comes from New Latin tellurium, which was formed from Latin tellus, meaning “earth.” The name was adopted in the late eighteenth century for the newly identified element. English words such as telluric and tellurian derive from related Latin forms, while terrestrial comes from the parallel Latin word terra, also meaning “earth.”
How tellurium is actually used
The term is principally scientific and technical. When referring to the element, tellurium is normally treated as a mass noun rather than as something regularly counted.
Easily confused with tellurium
Tellurium is a chemical element, whereas telluric is an adjective relating to the earth or soil.