a rare soft silvery metallic element associated with zinc ores: used in alloys, electronics, and electroplating. Symbol: In; atomic no: 49; atomic wt: 114.82; valency: 1, 2, or 3; relative density: 7.31; melting pt: 156.63°C; boiling pt: 2073°C
Word origin
C19: New Latin, from indigo + -ium
indium in American English
(ˈɪndiəm)
noun
a rare metallic chemical element, soft, ductile, and silver-white, occurring in some zinc ores and used in producing bearings and various alloys that melt at relatively low temperatures: symbol, In; at. no., 49
Word origin
ModL: so named (1863) by F. Reich (1799-1882) & H. T. Richter (1824-98), Ger metallurgists< L indicum, indigo + -ium, because of the two indigo lines in its spectrum