dilithium

dilithium

See also: Dilithium

English

Etymology

    From di- + lithium.

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /daɪˈlɪθiəm/
    • Audio (US):(file)

    Noun

    dilithium (uncountable)

    1. (inorganic chemistry) The diatomic molecule Li2 found in the gas phase.
    2. (chemistry, especially in combination) Two lithium atoms in a molecule.
    3. (science fiction) A fictional crystalline mineral in the Star Trek franchise, described as an essential component of anti-matter energy generation systems.
      • 2016 October, Scott Dadich, quoting Barack Obama, “Barack Obama Talks AI, Robo Cars, and the Future of the World”, in Wired[1], →ISSN:
        Fifty years later and it seems like we should—I don’t know if dilithium crystals are out there—but, you know, we should be getting some breakthroughs.
      • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:dilithium.

    Translations

    Further reading

    • David Barthelmy (1997–2026), “Dilithium”, in Webmineral Mineralogy Database.