Chem. [f. TELLUR-IUM + -IDE.] A combination of tellurium with an electro-positive element (e.g., hydrogen or a metal), or with a radical; as telluride of hydrogen, hydrogen telluride, the same as telluretted hydrogen, H2Te; organic tellurides, those of organic radicals, as ethyl telluride.
Telluride of bismuth, telluric bismuth, tetradymite, or bornite, perh. an isomorphous mixture of tellurium and bismuth, sometimes Bi2Te3. Telluride of gold and silver = SYLVANITE. Telluride of lead, black telluride, PbTe, found native as NAGYAGITE. Telluride of silver, bitelluret of silver, Ag2Te, found native as HESSITE and PETZITE.
1849. D. Campbell, Inorg. Chem., 307. Telluride of hydrogen … is colourless, and in odour resembles sulphide of hydrogen gas…. It forms with metals tellurides, analogous to the sulphides.
1863. Watts, Dict. Chem. V. 707. The tellurides belong to the class of metallic alloys: those of bismuth, gold, lead, and silver are found native. Ibid., 708. Organic tellurides: Tellurides of amyl, ethyl, methyl. Ibid. (1877), Fownes’ Chem. (ed. 12), II. 141. Ethyl Telluride, Telluric Ethide, or Tellurethyl, Te(C2H5)2 … is a heavy, oily, yellowish-red liquid … having a most intolerablc odour.
1897. Daily News, 30 April, 2/7. The vein contains telluride of gold, good quality.
attrib. 1877. Raymond, Statist. Mines & Mining, 305. The prominent mines of the telluride belt. Ibid., 311. Small seams of the usual telluride ore.
