A rare earth element with atomic number 66, used in high-temperature applications and magnets.
From Greek 'dys-' (bad/difficult) + Greek 'prósitos' (hard to get at). Named in 1886 because it was difficult to separate from other rare earth elements during the refining process.
Dysprosium gets its name because chemists found it incredibly frustrating to isolate—so they literally named it 'hard to get at'—and it turns out this tricky element is perfect for military radar systems and deep-sea equipment that needs extreme durability.
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