tungsten en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ten- Proto-Indo-European *téngʰ-u-s ~ *tn̥gʰ-éw-s Proto-Germanic *þunguz Old Norse þungrder. Swedish tung Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- Proto-Indo-European *steyh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-nos Proto-Indo-European *stóyh₂nos Proto-Germanic *stainaz Proto-Norse ᛊᛏᚨᛁᚾᚨᛉ (stainaʀ) Old Norse steinn Old Swedish sten Swedish sten Swedish tungstenbor. English tungsten Borrowed from Swedish tungsten (“scheelite”), from tung (“heavy”) + sten (“stone”).
Meanings
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(countable, uncountable) A rare metallic chemical element (symbol W, from Latin wolframium) with an atomic number of 74.
He then explained that tungsten has the highest melting point, and the highest boiling point, of all known elements.
Which makes the concept known as Rods From God the ultimate form of kinetic weaponry. This theoretical weapon would drop telephone pole sized rods of dense tungsten from a satellite in orbit.
2025 May 12, Jeff Edwards, “Rods from God: Unleashing Orbital Kinetic Bombardment as a Theoretical Defense System”, in Mira Safety:So far they have built and used a prototype robot to make millionth-of-a-meter scratches in aluminum with a fine tungsten needle.
1990 April 7, Ivan Amato, “Getting a feel for atoms: 'magic wrist' takes scientists into a new sensory realm”, in Science News:
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(countable, uncountable) Any of various commercially available alloys principally of tungsten.
There was a bar of tungsten on the bench, and they were invited to feel how heavy it was.
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(countable, uncountable) A light bulb containing tungsten.
Lighting was unimaginative for the standard stock with naked tungsten filament bulbs and metal reflectors. However, all compartments had individual reading lights above the seats with attractive glass shades.
1979 August, Graham Burtenshaw, Michael S. Welch, “O.V.S. Bulleid's SR loco-hauled coaches - 1”, in Railway World, page 398:We have several business houses where tungstens are used as window lights only, and find that in nearly every one the wiring was arranged to get more light, leaving the consumption about the same.
1909, E. A. Baily, “The Tungsten Lamp Situation in Various Cities”, in Electrical Age, volume XL, number 10, page 262:
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(countable, obsolete, uncountable) scheelite, calcium tungstate
We apprehend that this is not the acid of a calx ponderoſa, but rather a diſtinct acid conjoined to common calcareous earth, ſince, in fact, in another place, § 97, the tungſten is mentioned as a calx ſaturated with a peculiar acid, perhaps of a metallic nature, for which the author himſelf refers us to the above § 33, and ſeems to think it the ſame as the acid there mentioned.
1783, “[Review of] Outlines of Mineralogy”, in Monthly Review, volume LXX, number VII, page 47:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| tungstenum | alternative | lexicographic | |
| tungstens | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
tungstic · tungsten hexafluoride · tungstenic · tungstenian · tungsten-halogen lamp · nontungsten · tungsten trioxide · tungsten-steel · tungsten disulfide · tungsten disulphide · tungsten iodide · tungstenite · ditungsten · tungsteniferous · ferrotungsten · tungsten fluoride · tungsten oxide · decatungsten · tungsten carbide · tungstenitic · radiotungsten · tungstenlike · tungstite · tungsten sulphide · tungsten sulfide · tungstenane · tungsto- · tungstous · eka-tungsten · tungsten lamp · organotungsten
Descendants
Relateds
huebnerite · scheelite · tungstate · wolframite · ferberite
Synonyms
Translations (98)
ko 텅스텐 (chemical element) · fa ولفرام (chemical element) · mt tangstinn (chemical element) · sk wolfram (chemical element) · ka ვოლფრამი (chemical element) · es volframio (chemical element) · sh волфрам (chemical element) · nn wolfram (chemical element) · mk волфра́м (chemical element) · af wolfram (chemical element) · fi volframi (chemical element) · el βολφράμιο (chemical element) · mn больфрам (chemical element) · nl wolfraam (chemical element) · th วุลแฟรม (chemical element) · ar تُنْجِسْتِين (chemical element) · mi tangitene (chemical element) · tg вольфрам (chemical element) · ar تَنْجَسْتَن (chemical element) · pt tungstênio (chemical element) · th ทังสเตน (chemical element) · eu wolfram (chemical element) · sat ᱴᱟᱸᱜᱟᱥᱴᱟᱱ (chemical element) · fur tungsten (chemical element) · pt volfrâmio (chemical element) · it wolframio (chemical element) · sv volfram (chemical element) · ar وُلْفَرَامِيت (chemical element) · kw tungsten (chemical element) · csb wòlfram (chemical element) · hi चण्डातु (chemical element) · pt tungsténio (chemical element) · vo volframin (chemical element) · it tungsteno (chemical element) · tr tungsten (chemical element) · hi टंगस्टन (chemical element) · oc tungstèn (chemical element) · fo wolfram (chemical element) · he טונגסטן (chemical element) · is þungsteinn (chemical element) · gv tungsten (chemical element) · es wolframio (chemical element) · de Wolfram (chemical element) · fur volframi (chemical element) · te తుంగస్థము (chemical element) · ms siamang (chemical element) · lb Wolfram (chemical element) · be вальфра́м (chemical element) · cmn 鎢 /钨 (chemical element) · sq volfram (chemical element) · bg во́лфрам (chemical element) · uk вольфра́м (chemical element) · kk вольфрам (chemical element) · fa تنگستن (chemical element) · ug ۋولفرام (chemical element) · ru вольфра́м (chemical element) · eo volframo (chemical element) · ro tungsten (chemical element) · io wolframo (chemical element) · id wolfram (chemical element) · br tungsten (chemical element) · ko 볼프람 (chemical element) · uz вольфрам (chemical element) · ja タングステン (chemical element) · ko 중석 (chemical element) · he וולפרם (chemical element) · ko 월프람 (chemical element) · lt volframas (chemical element) · hu volfrám (chemical element) · sl volfram (chemical element) · ga tungstan (chemical element) · gl volframio (chemical element) · ca tungstè (chemical element) · lv volframs (chemical element) · nb wolfram (chemical element) · pl wolfram (chemical element) · fr tungstène (chemical element) · sh volfram (chemical element) · et volfram (chemical element) · gd tungstan (chemical element) · km តង់ស្តែន (chemical element) · vi vonfam (chemical element) · cy twngsten (chemical element) · ms tungsten (chemical element) · uz vol’fram (chemical element) · tr volfram (chemical element) · ta தங்ஸ்தென் (chemical element) · cs wolfram (chemical element) · es tungsteno (chemical element) · fy wolfraam (chemical element) · az volfram (chemical element) · la wolframium (chemical element) · da wolfram (chemical element) · ms wolfram (chemical element) · hy վոլֆրամ (chemical element) · ast volframiu (chemical element) · ro wolfram (chemical element) · fr wolfram (chemical element)