a toxic silvery-white metallic element of the lanthanide series, occurring principally in monazite: used in colouring glass. Symbol: Nd; atomic no: 60; atomic wt: 144.24; valency: 3; relative density: 6.80 and 7.00 (depending on allotrope); melting pt: 1024°C; boiling pt: 3127°C
Word origin
C19: New Latin; see neo- + didymium
neodymium in American English
(ˌnioʊˈdɪmiəm; ˌ niəˈdɪmiəm)
noun
a silver-colored chemical element, one of the rare-earth elements, used in the coloringof glass and in lasers: symbol, Nd; at. no., 60
Word origin
ModL < neodymia, a rare earth (< Gr neos, new + ModL (di)dymium: see didymium) + -ium: so named (1885) by C. A. von Welsbach (see Welsbach burner), from being split from didymium