: a gray-white heavy high-melting ductile hard polyvalent metallic element that resembles chromium and molybdenum in many of its properties and is used especially in carbide materials and electrical components (such as lamp filaments) and in hardening alloys (such as steel) see Chemical Elements Table
Examples of tungsten in a Sentence
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The weight of gold, with the fragility of ceramic, makes tungsten is extremely difficult to mine.
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Anna Coren, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
Spectroscopy revealed tungsten atoms capturing electrons under light.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 27 Dec. 2025
Greenland has mineral deposits of key minerals including graphite, copper, nickel, zinc, tungsten and lithium, all used for making modern technology.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025
Althaus is specifically developing mining and processing facilities for tungsten—a heat-resistant metal used in electronics and military equipment—and rare earths in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 9 Dec. 2025
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Anna Coren, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025
Spectroscopy revealed tungsten atoms capturing electrons under light.
—Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 27 Dec. 2025
Greenland has mineral deposits of key minerals including graphite, copper, nickel, zinc, tungsten and lithium, all used for making modern technology.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025
Althaus is specifically developing mining and processing facilities for tungsten—a heat-resistant metal used in electronics and military equipment—and rare earths in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
—Jordan Blum, Fortune, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tungsten
Cite this Entry
“Tungsten.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tungsten. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
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Etymology
from Swedish tungsten, literally "heavy stone," from tung "heavy" and sten "stone"
Medical Definition
tungsten
noun
tung·sten
ˈtəŋ-stən 
: a gray-white heavy high-melting ductile hard polyvalent metallic element that resembles chromium and molybdenum in many of its properties and is used especially for electrical purposes and in hardening alloys (as steel)
—symbol W
called also wolfram
see Chemical Elements TableLove words? Need even more definitions?
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