Strontium

['strɒntɪəm;'strɒnʃ(ɪ)əm] or ['strɑntɪəm]

Definition

(noun.) a soft silver-white or yellowish metallic element of the alkali metal group; turns yellow in air; occurs in celestite and strontianite.

Edited by Lancelot--From WordNet

Definition

(n.) A metallic element of the calcium group, always naturally occurring combined, as in the minerals strontianite, celestite, etc. It is isolated as a yellowish metal, somewhat malleable but harder than calcium. It is chiefly employed (as in the nitrate) to color pyrotechnic flames red. Symbol Sr. Atomic weight 87.3.

(n.) A radioactive isotope of strontium produced by certain nuclear reactions, and constituting one of the prominent harmful components of radioactive fallout from nuclear explosions; also called radiostrontium. It has a half-life of 28 years.

Typist: Phil

Definition

n. a yellowish ductile malleable metal somewhat harder than lead existing as a carbonate in the mineral Strontianite (first found in 1790 near Strontian in Argyllshire) and as a sulphate in the mineral known as Celestine.—ns. Stron′tia the oxide of strontium—also Stron′tian; Stron′tianite carbonate of strontia.

Edited by Eileen