Antimony

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈæn.tɪ.mə.niː/

Definitions

1. A silvery-white metallic element used in alloys, batteries, and flame retardants, with the chemical symbol Sb
2. A brittle metalloid with atomic number 51, utilized in making semiconductors, various alloys, and flame retardant materials
3. This element, characterized by its silvery luster, plays a role in producing specialized glass, ceramics, and certain types of solder

Etymology: The most striking part of this word's story is that its name was once tied to a supposed monastic poisoning. Medieval alchemists and physicians knew the element as stibium, a term that survives in its chemical symbol, Sb. The name "antimony," attested in Medieval Latin as "antimonium" in the 11th century, has no secure classical source, and the explanations offered for it are folk tales rather than settled etymology. The best-known one, that monks who fed the metal to their pigs saw them grow fat and then reasoned it was a "monk-killer," is a legend and should not be taken as the word's origin. The element itself was known from ancient times, used as a cosmetic and in medicine, but its metallic form was only clearly isolated later, and the Medieval Latin term gradually displaced stibium in European scientific writing. Because the origin of the name is uncertain, the most reliable part of the story is simply its appearance in Medieval Latin in the 11th century, from which it passed into the modern European languages.

Synonyms: stibium