New Latin, from Latin cadmia zinc oxide, from Greek kadmeia,
literally, Theban (earth), from feminine of kadmeios Theban,
from Kadmos; from the occurrence of its ores together with zinc
oxide First Known Use: 1822 Medical Definition of CADMIUM : a
bluish white malleable ductile toxic bivalent metallic element
used especially in protective platings and in bearing
metals—symbol Cd; see element table Metallic chemical element,
chemical symbol Cd, atomic number 48. It normally occurs along
with other metals, especially zinc, in ores. A silvery white
metal capable of taking a high polish, cadmium does not corrode
under alkaline (seealkali) conditions; one of its major uses is
in electroplating other metals and alloys to protect them.
Because it absorbs neutrons effectively, it is used in control
rods in some nuclear reactors. Its compounds, in which it has
valence 2, are very toxic. They are used as pigments, as
phosphors in television and computer monitor screens, as
pesticides, and in photographic applications a