Nickel

Nickel was named by frustrated Swedish miners who found a copper-colored ore that refused to yield any copper. They called it 'kupfernickel' — roughly 'copper demon' — blaming a mischievous sprite named Nick. Axel Fredrik Cronstedt isolated the actual metal in 1751 and kept the spiteful name, shortened to nickel.

The US five-cent coin is called a nickel because it contains 25% nickel (the rest is copper). Nickel is prized for its resistance to corrosion, which is why it is used to plate other metals and in stainless steel alloys. Nickel-metal hydride batteries power hybrid cars, and nickel alloys handle the extreme conditions inside jet engines and chemical plants. Many people are allergic to nickel in jewelry.

Nickel's symbol 'Ni' is a handy two-letter element in Spellement. It naturally appears in words like 'nice,' 'night,' and 'nine,' making it one of the more intuitive symbols for building words. Its common letter pairing gives spellers plenty of options.