chromium
n. uncountablen. a hard, silver-colored metal that people use to make things shiny and protect them from rust.
n. a hard, lustrous, steel-gray metallic element that is highly resistant to corrosion and oxidation.
The car's bumpers are coated in shiny chromium.
Manufacturers often add chromium to steel to create stainless steel, which does not rust easily.
The industrial application of chromium plating provides both an aesthetically pleasing mirror finish and a functional barrier against environmental degradation for high-performance mechanical components.
From New Latin, from French chrome (from Ancient Greek χρῶμα (khrôma, “color”)) + -ium. So called because of the striking colors of its compounds.
Uncountable when referring to the chemical element; countable only when referring to specific isotopes or chemical compounds in a laboratory context.