a soft silvery-white metallic element of the lanthanide series: used in laser materials and as a neutron absorber in nuclear control rods. Symbol: Dy; atomic no: 66; atomic wt: 162.50; valency: 3; relative density: 8.551; melting pt: 1412°C; boiling pt: 2567°C
Word origin
C20: New Latin, from Greek dusprositos difficult to get near + -ium
dysprosium in American English
(dɪsˈproʊziəm; dɪsˈproʊsiəm)
noun
a silver-white chemical element, one of the rare-earth elements, with a great capacity to absorb neutrons and with strong magnetic properties, esp. at very low temperatures: symbol, Dy; at. no., 66
Word origin
ModL < Gr dysprositos, difficult of access < dys-, dys- + prositos, approachable < prosienai, come to < pros, toward + ienai, to go (see ion): so named (1886) by its discoverer, Fr chemist P.-E. Lecoq de Boisbaudran (1838-1912)