calcium

See also: Calcium

English
Chemical element
Ca Previous: potassium (K)
Next: scandium (Sc)

Etymology

A New Latin word derived by Sir Humphry Davy in 1808, from Latin calx (“lime, limestone”) because it occurs in limestone.[1]

Pronunciation
  • (US) enPR: kăl′sē-əm, IPA(key): /ˈkælsi.əm/
  • Audio (US)(file)

Noun

calcium (countable and uncountable, plural calciums) (Symbol: Ca)

  1. A chemical element, atomic number 20, that is an alkaline earth metal and occurs naturally as carbonate in limestone and as silicate in many rocks.
    • 2013 September-October, Katie L. Burke, “In the News”, in American Scientist:
      Oxygen levels on Earth skyrocketed 2.4 billion years ago, when cyanobacteria evolved photosynthesis: […] . The evolutionary precursor of photosynthesis is still under debate, and a new study sheds light. The critical component of the photosynthetic system is the “water-oxidizing complex”, made up of manganese atoms and a calcium atom.
  2. (countable) An atom of this element.

Derived terms

Translations

References
  1. Chambers Dictionary of Etymology, Robert K. Barnhart (ed.), Chambers, 1988

Further reading

See also

Danish

Alternative forms

Noun

calcium

  1. calcium

Declension
Declension of calcium
neuter
gender		 Singular
indefinite definite
nominative calcium calciummet
genitive calciums calciummets

Dutch
Chemical element
Ca Previous: kalium (K)
Next: scandium (Sc)

Pronunciation
  • Audio(file)

Noun

calcium n (uncountable)

  1. calcium

French

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /kal.sjɔm/
  • Audio(file)

Noun

calcium m (uncountable)

  1. calcium

Descendants
  • Lingala: kalisu

Further reading

Interlingua

Noun

calcium (uncountable)

  1. calcium

Latin

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Form of calx.

Noun

calcium

  1. genitive plural of calx

Etymology 2

Derived from calx, calcis (“chalk”) +‎ -ium (chemical element suffix).

Noun

calcium n (genitive calciī); second declension

  1. (New Latin) calcium

Inflection

Second declension.

Case Singular Plural
Nominative calcium calcia
Genitive calciī calciōrum
Dative calciō calciīs
Accusative calcium calcia
Ablative calciō calciīs
Vocative calcium calcia
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