a white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light; the fifth most abundant element in the earth's crust; an important component of most plants and animals
"Calcium is a white metallic element found abundantly in the Earth's crust and essential for building strong bones in both plants and animals."
The chemical element (Symbol Ca), with an atomic number 20. It is a soft, silvery-white alkaline earth metal which occurs naturally as carbonate in limestone and as silicate in many rocks.
"Calcium is the second most abundant mineral in the human body after phosphorus."
In plain English: Calcium is an essential mineral that your body needs to build strong bones and teeth.
"Drinking milk is an easy way to get enough calcium for strong bones."
Usage: Calcium refers to the specific chemical element found in bones and teeth rather than general hardness or strength. Use this term when discussing nutrition, biology, or chemistry instead of describing an object's physical properties like "hard" or "strong."
The name "calcium" was coined in 1808 by British chemist Humphry Davy from the Latin word calx, meaning "lime" or "limestone," because the element is found in limestone. The suffix -ium was added to form the scientific term.