Meaning & use
lanthanum
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountablechemistry
A soft, silvery-white metallic chemical element with the symbol La and atomic number 57, used in alloys, catalysts, and optical glass.
Grammar: Used as a mass noun: 'Lanthanum is a metal.' Do not say 'a lanthanum' unless you mean a particular sample or type.
Patterns
- lanthanum is a …
- lanthanum compounds
- lanthanum in something
Lanthanum is a rare-earth element that is often found with other rare-earth metals.
The lab used lanthanum to improve the glass's ability to bend light.
Lanthanum compounds are important in some types of catalysts.
Common combinations
- lanthanum oxide
- Lanthanum oxide is used in special optical glasses.
- lanthanum series
- The lanthanum series includes the elements after lanthanum in the periodic table.
- lanthanum alloy
- This lanthanum alloy is strong and resists heat.
- lanthanum carbonate
- Lanthanum carbonate is sometimes used in medicine to lower phosphate levels.
Word family
- lanthanide noun
- Any of the series of elements from lanthanum to lutetium, often called rare-earth metals.
- lanthanum noun
- The element itself; the base word.
Commonly confused: lanthanum or lanthanide? lanthanum or lanthanium?
lanthanum vs lanthanide
Lanthanum is one specific element (La), while lanthanide refers to the whole group of 15 similar elements. Do not use them interchangeably.
lanthanum vs lanthanium
This is a misspelling. The correct spelling is lanthanum, ending in -um.
Practice
Lanthanum is a chemical element. Which sentence uses it correctly?
Choose one answer.
Lanthanum is an uncountable mass noun, so it takes a singular verb and usually no article: 'Lanthanum is a soft, silvery metal.' Option 1 wrongly uses a plural verb, option 2 wrongly uses 'a' with a mass noun, and option 3 wrongly uses a plural verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lanthanum”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.