Definition of "antimony" []

• A metallic element having four allotropic forms, the most common of which is a hard, extremely brittle, lustrous, silver-white, crystalline material. It is used in a wide variety of alloys, especially with lead in battery plates, and in the manufacture of flame-proofing compounds, paint, semiconductor devices, and ceramic products. Atomic number 51; atomic weight 121.76; melting point 630.5°C; boiling point 1,380°C; specific gravity 6.691; valence 3, 5. 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.

• "The name antimony is derived from the Greek words anti and monos, which together mean not alone, because it rarely occurs naturally in pure form."
• "The dictionaries define the substance as a stone from which antimony is prepared, but the Arabs understand a semi-mythical mineral of yellow colour which enters into the veins of the eyes and gives them Iynx-like vision."
• ""We found a chemical called antimony, which is a metal which has potential health hazards related to it," GoodGuide Co-Founder Dara O'Rourke said."