Aluminums

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A metallic element known for its lightweight properties and resistance to corrosion, often used in manufacturing
2. A silvery-white mineral element used in the production of various alloys and everyday items like cans
3. A versatile metal commonly found in construction and aerospace due to its favorable strength-to-weight ratio

Etymology: "Aluminums" is simply the plural of "aluminum," the American spelling of the metal, so its history is the history of that one word. Humphry Davy, the British chemist, coined the name in 1812, after an earlier 1807 New Latin form, "alumium." Davy's choice came from the Latin "alumen," meaning alum, the bitter mineral salt used in dyeing and tanning, with the metallic ending "-um" added on, much as "sodium" and "potassium" were named in the same period. Davy had been trying to isolate the metal that formed the base of alum, and the name reflected that link to the salt rather than to any Greek or Roman knowledge of the metal itself. Because the element was so hard to separate from its ores, it stayed a laboratory curiosity for decades. The plural form "aluminums" is used mainly when speaking of different alloys or kinds of the metal as separate items.

Synonyms: aluminum, metal, element