ˈsirēəm noun
( -s )
Etymology: New Latin, from Ceres, an asteroid (from Latin Ceres, goddess of grain) + -ium — more at cereal
: the most abundant element of the rare-earth group that occurs combined in monazite, cerite, and other rare-earth minerals, that resembles iron in color and luster but is soft and malleable and ductile, and that emits sparks when scratched with steel and forms pyrophoric iron alloys used as flints (as for lighters) — symbol Ce ; see element table