Definition of "gallium" []

• A rare metallic element that is liquid near room temperature, expands on solidifying, and is found as a trace element in coal, bauxite, and other minerals. It is used in semiconductor technology and as a component of various low-melting alloys. Atomic number 31; atomic weight 69.72; melting point 29.78°C; boiling point 2,403°C; specific gravity 5.907; valence 2, 3. See Table at element. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "One theory says that the name gallium comes from the Latin word for France, Gallia."
• "The supply of gallium is predicted to be gone by 2017, based on current and future projections of usage."
• "I was also familiar with the cutting-edge work in gallium arsenide heterostructures being done at the time through seminars and informal conversations with Mike Schlüter, who was good friends with"