a hard grey lustrous metallic element that is highly resistant to corrosion; occurs in niobite and fergusonite and tantalite
A chemical element (symbol Ta) with atomic number 73: a rare, hard, blue-gray, lustrous transition metal that is highly corrosion-resistant.
The Swedish chemist Anders Gustaf Ekeberg coined this New Latin name in 1802 after the mythological figure Tantalus. He chose it because the element was known for its inability to dissolve in acids, much like the character's eternal frustration.