Meaning & use
chromium
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountablechemistry
A hard, shiny, silver-grey chemical element used to make steel that resists rust and to coat other metals.
Grammar: Uncountable: talk about 'chromium' in general, not 'a chromium' or 'chromiums'.
Patterns
- chromium plating
- contain chromium
- chromium steel
Stainless steel contains chromium, which helps stop it from rusting.
The taps are made of brass with a thin layer of chromium on top.
Chromium is added to steel to make it harder and more resistant to corrosion.
Common combinations
- chromium plating
- Chromium plating gives the old car parts a bright, mirror-like finish.
- stainless steel contains chromium
- Most stainless steel contains chromium as well as iron and carbon.
- chromium alloy
- The turbine blades are made from a strong chromium alloy.
- chromium deficiency
- Doctors rarely see chromium deficiency because the body needs only tiny amounts.
Synonyms and how they differ
- chrome
- Use 'chrome' for the shiny metal coating on everyday objects or in informal speech; 'chromium' is the precise chemical name of the element.
Word family
Commonly confused: chromium or chrome? chromium or chromosome?
chromium vs chrome
In everyday English 'chrome' usually means the shiny decorative coating on objects, while 'chromium' is the element itself; the two are closely related but not always interchangeable.
chromium vs chromosome
A chromosome is a thread-like structure that carries genes in cells; it sounds similar but has nothing to do with the metal chromium.
Practice
Stainless steel is made by adding ______ to iron to stop it from rusting.
Choose one answer.
'Chromium' is the element added to steel to make it rust-resistant. 'Chrome' usually refers to the shiny coating on finished objects, 'chromosome' is a cell structure, and 'chromic' is an adjective, so none of them fits the blank.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “chromium”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.