ˈäzmēəm noun
( -s )
Etymology: New Latin, from Greek osmē odor + New Latin -ium; from the strong characteristic smell of osmium tetroxide
: a hard brittle blue-gray or blue-black high-melting polyvalent metallic element that is one of the platinum metals, that is the heaviest metal known, that occurs in platinum ores principally alloyed with iridium in iridosmine, and that is used chiefly as a catalyst and in hard alloys especially with platinum or ruthenium (as for pen nibs and phonograph needles) — symbol Os ; see element table