Hexaborides

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Binary chemical compounds formed when boron combines with six atoms of a metal, typically a rare earth or alkaline earth element, and valued for hardness and conductivity
2. Ceramic-like substances in which each boron unit bonds with six atoms of another element, often used in high-temperature electronics and cathode materials
3. Crystalline inorganic solids made of boron joined to six atoms of a metal, notable for their hardness, high melting points and electrical properties

Etymology: "Hexaborides" is the plural of "hexaboride," a chemical term formed from "hexa-," from Greek "hex" meaning "six," and "boride," a compound of boron. A hexaboride is a compound containing six boron atoms for every metal atom, as in the cubic lattice of lanthanum hexaboride. The plural simply refers to more than one such compound. The prefix "hexa-" is a standard chemical and mineralogical element, borrowed from Greek and used in scientific naming to count atoms or groups, so "hexaboride" reads literally as "six-boride." The "-ide" ending marks a binary compound, and "boride" follows the same pattern as "oxide" or "chloride," with boron in place of oxygen or chlorine.