vanadium
/vəˈneɪdɪəm
/noun [mass noun]
The chemical element of atomic number 23, a hard grey metal of the transition series, used to make alloy steels. (Symbol: V) For high strength grades, aluminum, vanadium, or columbium may be used for grain refinement....
- Nitrogen additions to high-strength steels containing vanadium have become commercially important because the additions enhance precipitation hardening.
- When waste oils are burned in incinerators, toxic metals such as nickel, vanadium and cadmium get ensnared in the particles given off into the atmosphere.
Origin
Mid 19th century: modern Latin, from Old Norse Vanadis (a name of the Scandinavian goddess Freya).