[a. G. wolfram (wolform in Mathesius, 1562, wolffram in Ercker, 1580, volfram in Wallerius, Mineralogia, 1747), of uncertain formation: generally assumed to be an old miners’ term f. wolf wolf + rahm cream (cf. rahmerz foamy wad), and to be the source of mod.L. lupi spuma (Agricola, De Nat. Foss., 1546), which corresponds, however, to G. wolfsschaum; but perh. f. MHG. råm dirty mark, soot.
The variants of the G. word, e.g., wolffram(m, wolf(f)ert, wolfart, wolfrath, suggest association with proper names. Since Agricola describes the lupi spuma as a light ‘stone,’ it is improbable that it was the mineral wolfram.]
1. Min. A native tungstate of iron and manganese.
1757. trans. Henckel’s Pyritologia, ix. 132. Though this tin ore be not easily separable from wolfram, a kind of mock-tin, or an irony tin mineral.
1787. Groschke, trans. Klaproth’s Observ. Fossils Cornw., 32. Wolfram of a foliated texture united to quartz and clay, is brought from Poldice.
1849. D. Campbell, Inorg. Chem., 292. Oxide of tungsten…. Preparation.—The mineral wolfram is reduced to the finest powder [etc.].
1916. W. D. Harmer & E. P. Cumberbatch, in Lancet, 8 Jan., 76/1. These electrodes are made by a special process from a mixture of the ores of certain metals, the chief one being a tungstate of iron and manganese, known as wolfram.
2. The metal tungsten, obtained from this mineral.
1845. W. Gregory, Ontl. Inorg. Chem., 197. Tungsten…. Syn. Wolfram—Occurs in nature, chiefly in the mineral wolfram.
1907. Proc. Soc. Antiquaries, 2 May, 456. Wolfram, or tungsten, a metal which is used as an alloy for hardening steel.
3. attrib., as wolfram mine, ore; wolfram lamp, -steel = TUNGSTEN lamp, -steel; wolfram-ochre = TUNGSTIC ochre, TUNGSTITE.
1862. wolfram-steel [see TUNGSTEN 3].
1868. Watts, Dict. Chem., V. 903. Trioxide of Tungsten … occurs native as tungstic ochre, wolfram-ochre, or wolframine.
1907. Westm. Gaz., 24 July, 10/1. Dr. Auer … claims that the light obtained from the wolfram lamp is three or four times as brilliant as that given by the ordinary carbon lamp with the same consumption of electricity.
1914. Brit. Mus. Return, 227. A large specimen of hübnerite from Huara wolfram mine.
1916. L. L. Blacknell, in Chamb. Jrnl., 9 Sept., 655/2. Important quantities of wolfram ore are also produced in Australia.
Hence Wolframate, = TUNGSTATE; Wolframed a., having wolfram added; Wolframic a., = TUNGSTIC; Wolframine, tungstic ochre, tungstite; Wolframite, = WOLFRAM 1.
1864. Q. Jrnl. Sci., I. 693. M. Le Guen has solicited attention to what he calls *wolframed pig-iron.
1860. Mayne, Expos. Lex., s.v. Wolframiate, *Wolframic acid.
1854. Dana, Min., 143. *Wolframine. Ibid. (1868), 601. *Wolframite.
1914. Brit. Mus. Return, 223. Wolframite and smoky quartz, from Burma.
