tantalum
noun /ˈtæntələm/
/ˈtæntələm/
[uncountable] (symbol Ta)
- a chemical element. Tantalum is a hard silver-grey metal used in the production of electronic parts and of metal plates and pins for connecting broken bones.Word Originearly 19th cent.: from Tantalus (a Lydian king in Greek mythology), with reference to its frustrating insolubility in acids.