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cadmium

a soft, bluish-white toxic metallic element used in batteries and pigments

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Where does the word "cadmium" come from? It comes from Greek kadmeia, and was adopted directly into English (1817).

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Where does the word "cadmium" come from? It comes from Greek kadmeia, and was adopted directly into English (1817).

Cadmium’s story begins in Greek: kadmeia meant “a zinc-bearing mineral.” A zinc ore mineral, named for the mythical founder of Thebes, Cadmus. It reached English by 1817 as cadmium. Coined by its discoverer for the metal found alongside zinc ore. Today, cadmium means a soft, bluish-white toxic metallic element used in batteries and pigments.

  1. Stage 1 · Greek · ancient kadmeia "a zinc-bearing mineral", a zinc ore mineral, named for the mythical founder of Thebes, Cadmus.
  2. Stage 2 · English · 1817 cadmium "a soft, bluish-white metallic element", coined by its discoverer for the metal found alongside zinc ore.

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