Magnesium
/mæɡˈniːziəm/noun
A silvery metallic chemical element, atomic number 12, and a common nutrient and industrial metal.
Did you know?Magnesium was named by chemist Humphry Davy after magnesia, a name linked to the Greek region of Magnesia, whose name also lies behind words for magnetism and magnetic attraction.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Μαγνησία (Magnēsia)
“A region in Thessaly, Greece; later the source of the place-name behind magnesia and magnet.”
Latin
Latin
magnesia
“A term for magnesia, especially the mineral and related substances associated with the Greek place-name.”
1808
English
magnesium
“Humphry Davy’s name for the newly isolated metallic element, derived from magnesia.”
Modern English
English
magnesium
“The chemical element magnesium, used in alloys, flares, medicines, and nutrition.”