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''tungsten'' ▫ᴱᴺ｜Definition｜1st｜20260331180822-00-⌔

tungsten - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Noun

tungsten (countable and uncountable, plural tungstens)

  • A rare metallic chemical element (symbol W, from Latin wolframium) with an atomic number of 74.
    • ✤ 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.1
    • ✤ 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.2
  • Any of various commercially available alloys principally of tungsten.
    • ✤ There was a bar of tungsten on the bench, and they were invited to feel how heavy it was.
  • A light bulb containing tungsten.
    • ✤ 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.3
    • ✤ 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.4
  • (mineralogy, obsolete) scheelite, calcium tungstate
    • ✤ We apprehend that this is not the acid of a calx ponderoſa, but rather a diſtinct acid conjoined to common calcareous earth, ſince, in fact, in another place, § 97, the tungſten is mentioned as a calx ſaturated with a peculiar acid, perhaps of a metallic nature, for which the author himſelf refers us to the above § 33, and ſeems to think it the ſame as the acid there mentioned.5

Etymology

Borrowed from Swedish tungsten (“scheelite”), from tung (“heavy”) + sten (“stone”).

Pronunciation

  • (UK, US) enPR: tŭNG’stən, IPA: /ˈtʌŋstən/
  • Audio (US): 🔊
  • Audio (General American): 🔊
  • Rhymes: -ʌŋstən

Printed 2026-06-28.

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Footnotes

  1. 1990 April 7, Ivan Amato, “Getting a feel for atoms: ‘magic wrist’ takes scientists into a new sensory realm”, in Science News ‎: ↩

  2. 2025 May 12, Jeff Edwards, “Rods from God: Unleashing Orbital Kinetic Bombardment as a Theoretical Defense System”, in Mira Safety ‎: ↩

  3. 1909, E. A. Baily, “The Tungsten Lamp Situation in Various Cities”, in Electrical Age, volume XL, number 10, page 262: ↩

  4. 1979 August, Graham Burtenshaw, Michael S. Welch, “O.V.S. Bulleid’s SR loco-hauled coaches - 1”, in Railway World, page 398: ↩

  5. 1783, “[Review of] Outlines of Mineralogy”, in Monthly Review, volume LXX, number VII, page 47: ↩

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