Definition of "tellurium" [tel•lu•ri•um]

• A brittle, silvery-white metallic element usually found in combination with gold and other metals, produced commercially as a byproduct of the electrolytic refining of copper and used to alloy stainless steel and lead, in ceramics, and, in the form of bismuth telluride, in thermoelectric devices. Atomic number 52; atomic weight 127.60; melting point 449.5°C; boiling point 989.8°C; specific gravity 6.24; valence 2, 4, 6. 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 tellurium came from the Latin word tellus meaning earth."
• "Hazmat tested the white powdery substance and it appeared it's called tellurium, which is a silvery, white in color and it has a metallic type luster."
• "Bottom line, five people who have been exposed to this substance called tellurium as you explained to us Teri, have gone through the decontamination process or are continuing to go through the decontamination process."