calcium

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the chemical element with symbol Ca and atomic number 20, a soft, silvery, reactive alkaline-earth metal that occurs naturally only in compounds

   Calcium occurs abundantly in limestone but not as an uncombined metal.

2. 2
   noun

   calcium in food or the body, chiefly as Ca2+ ions and mineral compounds, regarded as an essential nutrient for bones, muscles, nerves, and blood clotting

   The dietitian suggested leafy greens as another source of calcium.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Calcium was formed in the early 19th century from Latin calx, “lime.” The same Latin word is the ultimate source of chalk.

Coined by Humphry Davy from Latin calx, genitive calcis ("lime, limestone") + -ium. Davy isolated the metal in 1808 from a lime-containing mixture; the name reflects calcium's abundance in limestone and lime.

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External links

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