wolfram en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- 'wo͝olfrəm (US)
- /ˈwʊlfrəm/ (US)
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Borrowed from German Wolfram, of obscure origin. Generally assumed to be derived from Wolf (“wolf”) + Rahm (“cream, soot”), a calque of Latin lupi spuma (“wolf's froth”), coined by Georg Agricola in the 16th century and a term of contempt due to its lesser value compared to tin and its degradation to the tin smelting process. Else, possibly derived from a personal name, where the second element is derived from *hrabn (“raven”).
Meanings
- (uncountable) wolframite
- (dated, uncountable) tungsten
Deriveds
wolfram-steel · wolframite · wolframian · wolframed · wolframine · wolframic · wolfram lamp · wolfram-ocher · eka-wolfram · wolframate · wolfram-ochre