tungsten
/ˈtʌŋstən/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.12 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A rare metallic chemical element (symbol W, from Latin wolframium) with an atomic number of 74.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "He then explained that tungsten has the highest melting point, and the highest boiling point, of all known elements."
- "So far they have built and used a prototype robot to make millionth-of-a-meter scratches in aluminum with a fine tungsten needle."
- "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."
- "There was a bar of tungsten on the bench, and they were invited to feel how heavy it was."
- "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."
- "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."
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”).
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈtʌŋstən/
- British English: /ˈtʌŋstən/
Usage
Inflected Forms
Derived Forms
decatungsten
ditungsten
ferrotungsten
nontungsten
organotungsten
radiotungsten
tungstenane
tungstenian
tungstenic
tungsteniferous
tungstenite
tungstenitic
Phrases
eka-tungsten
tungsten carbide
tungsten disulfide
tungsten disulphide
tungsten fluoride
tungsten-halogen lamp
tungsten hexafluoride
tungsten iodide