/ ˈmæŋgəniːz; NAmE / noun
[ U ] ( symb Mn ) a chemical element. Manganese is a grey-white metal that breaks easily, used in making glass and steel.
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WORD ORIGIN
late 17th cent.: via French from Italian manganese , alteration of medieval Latin magnesia (referring to a mineral said to be an ingredient of the philosopher's stone) from Greek Magnēsia , denoting a mineral from Magnesia in Asia Minor.