(n) a brittle grey crystalline element that is a semiconducting metalloid (resembling silicon) used in transistors; occurs in germanite and argyrodite, Syn. atomic number 32, Ge
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English (GCIDE) v.0.53 Collaborative International Dictionary (GCIDE)
n. [ NL., fr. L. Germania Germany. ] (Chem.) A rare element, discovered in 1885 in a silver ore (argyrodite) at Freiberg. It is a brittle, silver-white metal, chemically intermediate between the metals and nonmetals, resembles tin, and is in general identical with the predicted ekasilicon. Symbol Ge. Atomic number 32. Atomic weight 72.59. It has excellent semiconductor properties, and is used in transistors and diodes. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]
[类金属 / 類金屬, lèi jīn shǔㄌㄟˋ ㄐㄧㄣ ㄕㄨˇ] metalloid (chem.), element with properties intermediate between metals and nonmetals, usually taken to include Boron B 硼, Silicon Si 硅, Germanium Ge 鍺|锗, Arsenic As 砷, Antimony Sb 銻|锑, Tellurium Te 碲, Polonium Po 釙|钋 (sometimes also the halogen Astatine A, See Also: 硼, 硅, 鍺, 锗, 砷, 銻, 锑, 碲, 釙, 钋, 砹