Meanings
nounxenotime (countable and uncountable, plural xenotimes)
plural xenotimes
- countableuncountablechemistryA yellow-brown mineral, yttrium phosphate (YPO₄)
Origin
- Ancient Greekκενός“vain”
- Englishxenotime
From Ancient Greek κενός (kenós, “vain”), τιμή (timḗ, “honour”), because the yttrium in the mineral was originally thought to be a new element.
More words from Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish ksenotiimi
- ksenotiimia yellow-brown mineral
German Xenotim
- Xenotima yellow-brown mineral
Italian xenotima
- xenotimaa yellow-brown mineral
Cite this entry
APA
xenotime. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/xenotime
MLA
“xenotime.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/xenotime. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “xenotime,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/xenotime.
Source: xenotime on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.