NYT Dictionary
GALLIUM
/ˈɡæliəm/NounGAL-li-umgal-li-um · 3 syllablesCollege
Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2025
Meaning
A chemical element (symbol Ga) with an atomic number of 31; a soft bluish metal.
Etymology
Origin: Latin
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gelH-? Proto-Celtic *galnatibor. Latin Gallus Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -ia Latin Gallia Proto-Indo-European *-om Proto-Italic *-om Latin -umder. English -ium English gallium Named by its discoverer Lecoq, after Latin Gallia (“Gaul”). It was claimed that Lecoq had named the element after himself, since gallus is the Latin translation of the French le coq, but Lecoq denied this in an article of 1877.
Synonyms & Antonyms
NYT Puzzle Appearances
Accepted in 1 recorded puzzle: