| noble metal | A metal that cannot be oxidised by heat alone, nor readily dissolved by acid; e.g., gold, platinum. Synonym: noble element. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| noble | 1. Possessing eminence, elevation, dignity, etc.; above whatever is low, mean, degrading, or dishonorable; magnanimous; as, a noble nature or action; a noble heart. "Statues, with winding ivy crowned, belong To nobler poets for a nobler song." (Dryden) 2. Grand; stately; magnificent; splendid; as, a noble edifice. 3. Of exalted rank; of or pertaining to the nobility; distinguished from the masses by birth, station, or title; highborn; as, noble blood; a noble personage. Noble is used in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, noble-born, noble-hearted, noble-minded. <chemistry> Noble metals, silver, gold, and platinum; so called from their freedom from oxidation and permanence in air. Copper, mercury, aluminium, palladium, rhodium, iridium, and osmium are sometimes included. Synonym: Honorable, worthy, dignified, elevated, exalted, superior, sublime, great, eminent, illustrious, renowned, stately, splendid, magnificent, grand, magnanimous, generous, liberal, free. Origin: F. Noble, fr. L. Nobilis that can be or is known, well known, famous, highborn, noble, fr.noscere to know. See know. 1. A person of rank above a commoner; a nobleman; a peer. 2. An English money of account, and, formerly, a gold coin, of the value of 6 s. 8 d. Sterling, or about $1.61. 3. <zoology> A European fish; the lyrie. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| Noble, Charles | <person> U.S. Gynecologist, 1863-1935. See: Noble's position. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Noble-Collip procedure | An obsolete procedure in which shock in rats is induced by rotating them in a drum. (05 Mar 2000) |
| noble element | A metal that cannot be oxidised by heat alone, nor readily dissolved by acid; e.g., gold, platinum. Synonym: noble element. (05 Mar 2000) |
| noble gases | Gases which are members of the zero group of the periodic system. These gases generally do not react chemically. (12 Dec 1998) |
| Noble, Robert | <person> Canadian physiologist, *1910. See: Noble-Collip procedure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Noble's position | Patient standing and bent slightly forward; useful for inspection of a swelling of the loin that may occur with pyelonephritis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Noble's stain | <technique> A basic fuchsin-orange G staining technique for detection of viral inclusion bodies in fixed tissues. (05 Mar 2000) |
| active metal | <chemistry> Any very reactive metal, such as magnesium or sodium, most are located in the first two columns of the periodic table. (15 Jan 1998) |
| alkali earth metal | See: alkaline earth elements. (05 Mar 2000) |
| alkali metal | <chemistry> Any of the highly reactive metals (such as sodium or potassium) found in the first column of the periodic table, these metals act as bases. (13 Nov 1997) |
| Babbitt metal | An alloy of antimony, copper, and tin; used occasionally in dentistry. (05 Mar 2000) |
| base metal | A metal that is readily oxidised; e.g., iron, copper. (05 Mar 2000) |
| bell metal | A hard alloy or bronze, consisting usually of about three parts of copper to one of tin; used for making bells. Bell metal ore, a sulphide of tin, copper, and iron; the mineral stannite. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| rare earth metal | Those elements with atomic numbers 57-71 which closely resemble one another chemically and were once difficult to separate from one another. Synonym: rare earth elements. Origin: Lanthanum, first element of the series (05 Mar 2000) |