From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcadmiumcad‧mi‧um /ˈkædmiəm/ noun [uncountable] HCEa soft poisonous metal that is used in batteries and in the protective shields in nuclear reactors. It is a chemical element: symbol Cd
Examples from the Corpus
cadmium• Alloys Figure 6.31 shows the phase diagram for zinc and cadmium.• Inorganic chemistry in particular provided the bulk of new pigments based on chromium, cadmium, cobalt, zinc, copper and arsenic.• In 1971, oysters were found to contain cadmium in amounts greater than now considered safe.• The acidic water also contains cadmium and zinc.• The water forms sulfuric acid, which leaches copper, cadmium, zine and other metals from the ore.• These metals, cadmium especially, become concentrated in the organs of animals ingesting them.• High levels of cadmium, lead and chromium were also found in sediment in the Dogger Bank.• White acrylic mixed with cadmium orange, yellow ochre or burnt sienna allows Martin to overlap and cross-hatch.Origin cadmium (1800-1900) Latin cadmia “calamine” ( → CALAMINE LOTION); because cadmium was found in the earth with calamine 