aluminum oxynitride

noun

aluminum oxy·ni·tride -ˌäk-si-ˈnī-ˌtrīd

: a transparent ceramic compound AlON that exhibits a high degree of toughness

One promising solution is to replace the glass with significantly cheaper and more effective aluminum oxynitride … a hard, sapphirelike material developed by industry, the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force.—

Steven Ashley, Scientific American, May 2006

Word History

Etymology

oxy- + nitride entry 1

First Known Use

1978, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of aluminum oxynitride was in 1978

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Aluminum oxynitride.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aluminum%20oxynitride. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

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