manganese

American

[mang-guh-nees, -neez] / ˈmæŋ gəˌnis, -ˌniz /

noun

Chemistry.

a hard, brittle, grayish-white, metallic element, an oxide of which, MnO 2 manganese dioxide, is a valuable oxidizing agent: used chiefly as an alloying agent in steel to give it toughness. Mn; 54.938; 25; 7.2 at 20°C.

manganese British

/ ˈmæŋɡəˌniːz /

noun

a brittle greyish-white metallic element that exists in four allotropic forms, occurring principally in pyrolusite and rhodonite: used in making steel and ferromagnetic alloys. Symbol: Mn; atomic no: 25; atomic wt: 54.93805; valency: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, or 7; relative density: 7.21–7.44; melting pt: 1246±3°C; boiling pt: 2062°C

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

manganese Scientific

/ măng′gə-nēz′ /

A grayish-white, hard, brittle metallic element that occurs in several different minerals and in nodules on the ocean floor. It is used to increase the hardness and strength of steel and other important alloys. Atomic number 25; atomic weight 54.9380; melting point 1,244°C; boiling point 1,962°C; specific gravity 7.21 to 7.44; valence 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7.
See Periodic Table

Etymology

Origin of manganese

1670–80; < French manganèse < Italian manganese, alteration of Medieval Latin magnesia magnesia

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

manganese

The experiment revealed a clear difference in the way manganese telluride interacted with the two X-ray polarizations.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026

It occurs when a single magnetic atom, such as iron or manganese, is placed as an impurity inside a metal such as copper.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 10, 2026

Mining was the biggest drag, shrinking three percent as production of platinum-group metals, manganese, gold and iron ore fell.

From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026

Despite also having significant potential in cobalt, nickel and manganese, the country continues to struggle with persistent poverty, unemployment and rising food prices.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

They were cobalt blue, purple from manganese, yellow from copper, red, and a green which was also got from copper.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023