tungsten
(ˈtʌŋstɛn, -ən)
[a. Sw. tungsten, f. tung heavy + sten stone.]
† 1. Min. = scheelite, native calcium tungstate. Obs.
| 1770 Engestrom tr. Cronstedt's Syst. Min. 201 Ferrum calciforme terrâ quâdam incognitâ intimè mixtum. The Tungsten of the Swedes. 1786 Beddoes Chem. Ess. Scheele 285 Lapis Ponderosus, or Tungsten... It is probable that the constituent parts of this..have been hitherto unknown. 1799 Med. Jrnl. I. 239 Tungsten... Scheele..affirmed that it consisted of calcareous earth, united to a peculiar acid. 1822 J. Imison Sc. & Art II. 120 A mineral called Tungsten or ponderous stone, affords a peculiar metal. |
2. Chem. (Formerly also in L. form
tungstenum, as in other names of metals.) A heavy, steel-grey, ductile, very infusible metal, contained in the above mineral and in
wolfram (iron and manganese tungstate) and other minerals; used for wire in incandescent electric lamps. Symbol W (
= wolframium); atomic weight 184 (O
= 16).
| 1796 Hatchett in Phil. Trans. LXXXVI. 291 The yellow oxyde of tungsten by ignition becomes blue or black. 1812 Davy Chem. Philos. 427 Tungstenum is obtained from a mineral known by the name of wolfram. 1836–41 Brande Man. Chem. (ed. 5) 921 Tungsten..which has also been called Scheelium and Wolframium, was first obtained by Messrs. de Luyart [in 1783], from the tungstic acid previously discovered by Scheele, in 1781. 1862 London Rev. 16 Aug. 154 Tungsten added to steel communicates a most intense hardness to it, and renders it also very fine-grained. 1911 Daily News 22 Aug. 2 Tungsten may be converted into strong ductile form and drawn into a wire only one thousandth of an inch in diameter. 1912 Ann. Rep. Chem. Soc. IX. 69 Tungsten melts at 3100° {pm} 60°. |
3. attrib., as
tungsten filament,
tungsten lamp,
tungsten-steel,
tungsten wire.
tungsten carbide, either of two compounds of tungsten and carbon, WC and W
2C, that are very hard and are used for cutting tools and abrasives.
| 1899 Jrnl. Chem. Soc. LXXVI. ii. 104 On heating a mixture of tungstic anhydride.., iron.., and petroleum coke.., an iron *tungsten carbide..is obtained. 1930 Engineering 14 Nov. 634/2 The enhanced cutting properties of the newer cutting steels, such as the tungsten-carbide tools. 1963 C. R. Cowell et al. Inlays, Crowns, & Bridges iii. 12 Penetrate to just within the dentine, using a small round tungsten-carbide bur. 1973 Sci. Amer. July 42/1 Tungsten carbide, a cermet, has long been used as a cutting tool. |
| 1922 Glazebrook Dict. Appl. Physics II. 379/2 From 1904..it became obvious that the future of the incandescent lamp for some time to come would be with the *tungsten filament lamp. 1962 V. Nabokov Pale Fire 192 The dead, the gentle dead—who knows?—In tungsten filaments abide. |
| 1909 Installation News II. 171/2 The *Tungsten lamp will not withstand over running to any great extent. |
| 1862 London Rev. 16 Aug. 154 The alloy..is now becoming rather celebrated under the name of wolfram- or *tungsten-steel. |
| 1911 Encycl. Brit. XVI. 669/2 The zirconium and *tungsten wire lamps are equal to or surpass the tantalum lamp. |
Hence
† ˈtungstenane, Davy's proposed name for a chloride of tungsten: see
-ane2;
tungˈstenic,
† tungˈstenical,
tungsteˈnitic,
adjs., of, pertaining to, or containing tungsten, tungstic;
tungsteˈniferous a. [
-ferous], yielding tungsten.
| 1812 Davy Chem. Philos. 429 *Tungstenane. |
| 1796 Kirwan Elem. Min. (ed. 2) I. 131 The *tungstenic acid..assumes a blue colour when heated to redness. |
| Ibid. 133 An ore of *tungstenical substance. |
| Ibid. II. 316 *Tungstenitic Calx, with Iron and Manganese, or Iron singly. Wolfram. |