Definition of LANTHANUM

lanthanum

Plural: lanthanums

Noun

  • a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth
  • A chemical element (symbol La) with an atomic number of 57: a soft, ductile, silvery-white metal that tarnishes slowly when exposed to air.
  • An atom of this element.

Origin / Etymology

From Ancient Greek λανθάνω (lanthánō, “to escape notice”) + -um (“a chemical element”), because it had gone long undetected in mineral ores.

Synonyms

atomic number 57, La

Scrabble Score: 14

lanthanum is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
lanthanum is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
lanthanum is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 18

lanthanum is a valid Words With Friends word