siderophileadj.
/ˈsɪd(ə)rə(ʊ)ˌfʌɪl/, U.S. /ˈsɪdərəˌfaɪl/ 1. Histology. = siderophilic adj. 1.
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1900 Jrnl. Morphol. 17 90 Siderophile granules of A. Bolles Lee.
1996 Jrnl. Compar. Pathol. 115 96 The spleen was crowded with neoplastic cells, with interspersed siderophil cells.
2. Geology and Chemistry. Of an element: commonly found in metallic phases (sometimes spec. in association with iron) rather than combined as silicates or sulphides, and believed to have become relatively concentrated in the earth's core when the earth was molten. Cf. chalcophil adj. at chalco- comb. form Additions, lithophil adj. at litho- comb. form .
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the world > matter > chemistry > elements and compounds > metals > specific elements > siderophiles > [adjective]
siderophile1923
siderophilic1929
1923 Mineral. Abstr. 2 159 Corresponding with the zones of the earth postulated in the preceding papers, the chemical elements are divided into four main groups: (1) Siderophil elements..; (2) Chalcophil elements..; (3) Lithophil elements of silicate fusions (O, Si, Ti, F, Cl, Al, Ce, Na, K, Be, Mg, Ca, V, &c.); (4) Atmophil elements.
1950 K. Rankama & T. G. Sahama Geochem. iv. 93 It may be assumed that the typically siderophile elements..are enriched in the nickel-iron core of the Earth.
1954 A. Muir Goldschmidt's Geochem. 680 The scarcity of all the platinum metals in the lithosphere is due to their extremely siderophil nature.
1977 Nature 20 Jan. 197/3 The siderophile and volatile elements on the Moon are depleted relative to the Earth and meteorites.
2000 New Scientist 29 July 6/3 You need to have something which adds siderophile [iron-loving] elements after core formation.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2016; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1900