tellurium Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a brittle silver-white metalloid element that is related to selenium and sulfur; it is used in alloys and as a semiconductor; occurs mainly as tellurides in ores of copper and nickel and silver and gold
    Te; atomic number 52.

WordNet

Tel*lu"ri*um noun
Etymology
NL., from L. tellus, -uris, the earth.
Definitions
  1. (Chem.) A rare nonmetallic element, analogous to sulphur and selenium, occasionally found native as a substance of a silver-white metallic luster, but usually combined with metals, as with gold and silver in the mineral sylvanite, with mercury in Coloradoite, etc. Symbol Te. Atomic weight 125.2.

Webster 1913