molybdena ? Obs.
(mɒlɪbˈdiːnə)
Also 7–9 -dæna, and 9 in anglicized or Ger. form molybden.
[a. L. molybdæna, a. Gr. µολύβδαινα, f. µόλυβδος lead. For the history of the application of the word, see plumbago (note at end of article).]
a. Applied vaguely to various ores or salts of lead. b. An older name for molybdenite, by early mineralogists confused with graphite and with various ores of lead. c. From c 1790 to c 1820 sometimes used for molybdenum.
| 1693 tr. Blancard's Phys. Dict. (ed. 2), Molybdæna, native and factitious, the native is only a mixture of Lead and Silver Mine; the Factitious is a sort of Litharge. 1783 Withering tr. Bergman's Outl. Min. 65 The acid of molybdæna has never yet been obtained quite free from phlogiston. 1786 Beddoes tr. Scheele's Chem. Ess. 227 Experiments upon Molybdæna. 1778. 1796 Kirwan Elem. Min. (ed. 2) II. 4 The Molybdenous acid has been extracted from Molybdena. Ibid. 215 The Molybden seems to me to be only in the state of a Calx. 1798 Phil. Trans. LXXXVIII. 123, I evaporated it to dryness, without perceiving any vestige of oxide of molybdæna. 1816 P. Cleaveland Min. 403 The Graphite and sulphuret of molybdena often strongly resemble each other. |
d. attrib.: † molybdena acid, molybdic acid; molybdena ochre = molybdite.
| 1783 Withering tr. Bergman's Outl. Min. 18 Molybdæna acid. 1854 Dana Syst. Min. (ed. 4) II. 144 Molybdena Ochre. |
Hence † molybˈdenic, † moˈlybdenous adjs., obtained from or pertaining to molybdena (cf. molybdic). molybdeˈniferous a., containing molybdenum (Cent. Dict. 1890).
| 1790 Wedgwood in Phil. Trans. LXXX. 317 The molybdænic acid, discovered by Scheele. 1796 Molybdenous acid [see molybdena]. 1796 Kirwan Elem. Min. (ed. 2) II. 216 The molybdenic Calx is known to communicate a yellow colour to Lead. Ibid. 478 A pure Molybdenic acid. 1815 J. Smith Panorama Sci. & Art II. 431 This is the molybdenous acid. |