dysprosium

noun

dys·​pro·​si·​um dis-ˈprō-zē-əm How to pronounce dysprosium (audio)
-zh(ē-)əm
: an element of the rare-earth group that forms highly magnetic compounds see Chemical Elements Table

Examples of dysprosium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The new rules bar exports of rare earths such as dysprosium, yttrium or samarium which play tiny but vital roles in cars, planes, weapons and consumer electronics. — Reuters, NBC news, 24 Feb. 2026 Even with the exemption, Chinese export volumes for unpronounceable but irreplaceable things like yttrium and dysprosium are still way down, and prices are way up. — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 14 May 2026 Rare earth metals like neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium are critical for electric vehicles, wind turbines, electronics, and weapon systems. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 28 June 2026 Japanese companies, with government support, have invested in developing magnets that use less dysprosium. — Lorenzo Lamperti, Wired News, 17 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dysprosium

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, from Greek dysprósitos "difficult to access" (from dys- dys- + prósitos "approachable," verbal adjective of próseimi, prosiénai "to go toward, approach," from pros- pros- + eîmi, iénai "to go") + New Latin -ium -ium — more at issue entry 1

Note: The element was named by the first person to isolate it, the French chemist Paul Émile Lecoq de Boisbaudran (1838-1912), reported in "Le holmine (ou terre X de M. Soret) contient au moins deux radicaux métalliques," Comptes rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l'Académie des Sciences, tome 102 (janvier-juin 1886), pp. 1003-04. The name was apparently given because several hundred fractionations ("plusieurs centaines de fractionnements") were required to isolate a sufficient amount of it to test spectroscopically.

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dysprosium was in 1886

Rhymes for dysprosium

See All Rhymes for dysprosium

Browse Nearby Words

dyspnoea
dysprosium
dysrhythmia
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dysprosium.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dysprosium. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

dysprosium

noun
dys·​pro·​si·​um dis-ˈprō-zē-əm How to pronounce dysprosium (audio)
-zh(ē-)əm
: a chemical element that forms very magnetic compounds see element

Medical Definition

dysprosium

noun
dys·​pro·​si·​um dis-ˈprō-zē-əm How to pronounce dysprosium (audio) -zh(ē-)əm How to pronounce dysprosium (audio)
: an element of the rare-earth group that forms highly magnetic compounds
—symbol Dy see Chemical Elements Table

More from Merriam-Webster on dysprosium

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dysprosium

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All