CADMIUM

[cad.mi.um] n [NL, fr. L cadmia zinc oxide, fr. Gk kadmeia, lit., Theban (earth), fr. fem. of kadmeios Theban, fr. Kadmos; fr. the occurrence of its ores together with zinc oxide] (1822): a bluish white malleable ductile toxic bivalent metallic element used esp. in protective platings and in bearing metals