a ductile grey metallic element of the lanthanide series; used in lighter flints; the most abundant of the rare-earth group
A chemical element (symbol Ce) with an atomic number of 58, a very soft, ductile, silvery-white metal that tarnishes when exposed to air.
The name cerium comes from Ceres, a famous asteroid discovered in 1801 and named after the Roman goddess of agriculture. The element itself was discovered and given this name in 1803.