vanadium

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the chemical element with symbol V and atomic number 23, a silvery transition metal used chiefly to strengthen steel and in several industrial catalysts

   Adding a small amount of vanadium can make steel stronger and more resistant to shock.

From New Latin vanadium, named in 1831 by Swedish chemist Nils Gabriel Sefstrom after Vanadis, a name of the Norse goddess Freyja. The name alluded to the varied, often beautiful colors of vanadium compounds; -ium is the conventional element-name suffix.

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