ytterbium
noun /ɪˈtɜːbiəm/
/ɪˈtɜːrbiəm/
[uncountable] (symbol Yb)
- a chemical element. Ytterbium is a silver-white metal used to make steel stronger and in some X-ray machines.Word Originlate 19th cent.: modern Latin, from Ytterby, the name of a Swedish quarry where it was first found.