lutetium
/luːˈtiːʃɪəm
/ /luːˈtiːsɪəm/(also lutecium)
noun [mass noun]
The chemical element of atomic number 71, a rare silvery-white metal of the lanthanide series. (Symbol: Lu) The gadolinium and lutetium exceptions result in a marked increase in radius compared to the slight decrease in metal atom radius for the other elements....
- This finding provides support for the ongoing development of more solubilized versions of lutetium texaphyrin as photosensitizers for use in the diagnosis and PDT of cancerous disease.
- Because lutetium is so expensive (currently, about $75 a gram), it has almost no commercial use.
Origin
Early 20th century: from French lutécium, from Latin Lutetia, the ancient name of Paris, the home of its discoverer.
Rhymes
- partial derivative
- partial differential equation
- partial dislocation
- partial drought
- partial eclipse
- partial fraction
- partial indulgence
- partial involucre
- partialise
- partialised
- partialising
- partialism
- partialist
- partialistic
- partiality
- partialize
- partialized
- partializing
- partial loss
- partially
- partially ordered
- partially sighted
- partialness
- partial order
- partial ordering