Meaning
A dark-brown mineral that is an ore of tantalum and niobium, of the chemical formula (Fe, Mn) Ta₂O₆.
Etymology
Origin: Latin
Etymology tree English tantalum Proto-Indo-European *-tósder. Ancient Greek -της (-tēs)der. Ancient Greek -ῑ́της (-ī́tēs)der. Latin -ītēslbor. French -iteder. English -ite English tantalite From tantalum + -ite.
NYT Puzzle Appearances
No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2021, 2022, 2025.