dilithium

di- +‎ lithium

• IPA^(key): /daɪˈlɪθiəm/

dilithium (uncountable)

1. (inorganic chemistry) The diatomic molecule Li₂ found in the gas phase.
2. (chemistry, especially in combination) Two lithium atoms in a molecule.
3. (science fiction) A fictional crystalline mineral in the Star Trek franchise, described as an essential component of anti-matter energy generation systems.
   • 2016 October, Scott Dadich, quoting Barack Obama, “Barack Obama Talks AI, Robo Cars, and the Future of the World”, in Wired‎, →ISSN:

     Fifty years later and it seems like we should—I don’t know if dilithium crystals are out there—but, you know, we should be getting some breakthroughs.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:dilithium.

• lithium
• trilithium

• David Barthelmy (1997–2024) “Dilithium”, in Webmineral Mineralogy Database.