An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A white, crystalline, brittle metallic chemical element with a pinkish tinge; symbol Bi. → Atomic number 83; → atomic weight 208.9804; → melting point 271.3°C; → boiling point about 1,560°C; → specific gravity 9.75 at 20°C; → valence +3 or +5.

Bismuth is the most → diamagnetic of all metals. Its
thermal conductivity is lower than any metal, except → mercury.
There is only one naturally occurring → isotope of bismuth, ²⁰⁹Bi. Bismuth is used in a number of very different applications, chiefly in bismuth alloys, and in pharmaceuticals and chemicals.

See also: From Ger. Bismuth, Wismut, Wissmuth, probably from weisse Masse
“white mass,” indicating how the element appears in nature.