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Glite Dictionary
germanium

germanium

2 8.1
A brittle gray element used in electronic parts like transistors
  • noun
  • /dʒɜrˈmeɪniəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : germanio
  • The semiconductor industry relies heavily on germanium for improving the efficiency of transistors.
  • germanium-silicon
  • germanium detector
  • germanium crystal

So we're going to stop exporting to you Germanium, gallium, the rare earths.

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Examples

  • RASA uses a large germanium gamma-ray spectrometer to detect radionuclides.

    Academic text (2000)

  • We do not yet understand the detailed microscopic mechanisms, although germanium defect centers play an essential role.

    Academic text (1993)

  • However, germanium, rather than silicon, was used for the first transistors in 1947.

    Academic text (1997)

  • When you pass light through it, it treats light much the way a semiconductor like silicon or germanium treats electrons.

  • In the laboratory, pure germanium provides a spectrum that clearly shows the photon energy peaks.

    Academic text (2004)

  • The germanium extraction process involves mixing the metal with a dilute hydrochloric acid solution.

    Academic text (1990)

  • When photons are absorbed by the germanium, they generate a number of electron-hole pairs proportional to their energy.

    Academic text (2003)

  • Cooling the germanium to 75 K lowers the noise and boosts the sensitivity.

    Academic text (2003)

  • The detectors themselves, wholly composed of the purest germanium, looked like shiny oversized doorknobs.

    Academic text (1993)

  • Determining even a continuum slope requires high spectral resolution, which RHESSI achieves with detectors based on ultrapure crystalline germanium.

    Academic text (2003)

Synonyms

Ge
vsgermanium
  • Specialized
7 7.4

A symbol for the chemical element germanium that is a brittle grey material used in electronics

is the full word name used for the substance rather than a symbolic label
atomic number 32
vsgermanium
  • Specialized
7.6

A brittle grey element used to make computer chips

is the everyday single-word name for the same substance rather than a label

How Metallic

flerovium
  • Specialized
9.9
tin
  • Specialized
26 1.9
Group 14 element
  • Specialized
5.8
germanium
  • Specialized
2 8.1
silicon
  • Specialized
38 4.7
carbon
  • Specialized
364 2.6

Surface Forms

germanium singular
germaniums plural

Morphology

germanium = German (semi-transparent) = german + ium

Formed transparently from 'German' + '-ium' (a common element-forming suffix), but the specific chemical properties ('a semiconducting metalloid') are not predictable from the base.

Etymology

The word germanium was named after Germania, the Latin word for 'Germany'. So, think of germanium with the symbol Ge as an element named for Germany, which helps you remember it is the element used in electronics and early transistors.