molybdaenum

• molybdenum, molybdænum

From New Latin molybdaena (“any of various substances resembling lead, including lead and molybdenum, their sulphides, and graphite”), from Ancient Greek μολύβδαινα (molúbdaina, “a plummet”), from μόλυβδος (mólubdos, “lead; graphite”), from an Anatolian word cognate with Lydian ⁧𐤪𐤠𐤭𐤦𐤥𐤣𐤠⁩ (mariwda, “dark”), from Proto-Indo-European *morkʷ-iyo-, from a root *morkʷ- (“dark”).

Attested since the last quarter of 18th century.

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /mo.lybˈdae̯.num/, [mɔlʲʏbˈd̪äe̯nʊ̃ˑ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /mo.libˈde.num/, [molibˈd̪ɛːnum]

molybdaenum n (genitive molybdaenī); second declension

1. molybdenum (chemical element 42)

Second-declension noun (neuter).