English▸ noun [mass noun] (Symbol: Cd) the chemical element of atomic number 48, a silvery-white metal.
Cadmium occurs naturally in zinc ores and is obtained as a by-product of zinc smelting. It is used as a component in alloys with a low melting point and as a corrosion-resistant coating on other metals.
– ORIGIN early 19th century: from Latin cadmia ‘calamine’, so named because it is found with calamine in zinc ore. Compare with calamine.