n. (Symbol Sb)
A metallic element having four allotropic forms, the most common of which is a hard, extremely brittle, lustrous, silver-white, crystalline material. It is used in a wide variety of alloys, especially with lead in battery plates, and in the manufacture of flame-proofing compounds, paint, semiconductor devices, and ceramic products. Atomic number 51; atomic weight 121.76; melting point 630.5°C; boiling point 1,380°C; specific gravity 6.691; valence 3, 5.
[Middle English antimonie, from Medieval Latin antimōnium, perhaps from Arabic al-'iṯmid : al-, the + 'iṯmid, antimony (perhaps from Greek stimmi).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
