Metal

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈmÉ›tÉ™l/
• Rhymes: -É›tÉ™l
• Homophones: medal, meddle, mettle in accents with flapping

Origin

From Middle English, from Old French metal ("metal"), from Latin metallum ("metal, mine, quarry, mineral"), from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon, "mine, quarry, metal"), from μέταλλευειν (métalleuein, "to mine, quarry"), of unknown origin, but apparently related to μέταλλαν (métallan, "to seek after"), also of unknown origin.

Full definition of metal

Noun

1. Chemical elements or alloys, and the mines where their ores come from.
1. Any of a number of chemical elements in the periodic table that form a metallic bond with other metal atoms; generally shiny, somewhat malleable and hard, often a conductor of heat and electricity.
• 2014-04-21, Subtle effects, Manganism has been known about since the 19th century, when miners exposed to ores containing manganese, a silvery metal, began to totter, slur their speech and behave like someone inebriated.
2. Any material with similar physical properties, such as an alloy.
• 1879, Richard Jefferies, The Amateur Poacher Chapter 1, But then I had the flintlock by me for protection. ¶ There were giants in the days when that gun was made; for surely no modern mortal could have held that mass of metal steady to his shoulder.
3. (astronomy) Any element other than hydrogen and helium,Majewski, S. R. (2003, 2006). CHEMICAL ABUNDANCE EFFECTS ON SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTIONS. ASTR 551 (Majewski) Lecture Notes. or sometimes other than hydrogen.

1. Crushed rock, stones etc. used to make a road.
2. (mining) The ore from which a metal is derived.
3. (obsolete) A mine from which ores are taken.
• Jeremy Taylor (1613–1677)slaves...and persons condemned to metals
1. (tincture) A light tincture used in a coat of arms, specifically argent and or.
2. Molten glass that is to be blown or moulded to form objects.
3. (music) A category of rock music encompassing a number of genres (including thrash metal, death metal, heavy metal, etc.) characterized by strong, fast drum-beats and distorted guitars.
4. (archaic) The substance that constitutes something or someone; matter; hence, character or temper; mettle.
• 1599, William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, :LEONATO. Well, niece, I hope to see you one day fitted with a husband.BEATRICE. Not till God make men of some other metal than earth. Would it not grieve a woman to be over-mastered with a piece of valiant dust?
5. The effective power or calibre of guns carried by a vessel of war.
6. (UK, obsolete, in the plural) The rails of a railway.
7. (informal, travel, aviation) The actual airline operating a flight, rather than any of the codeshare operators.
   We have American Airlines tickets, but it's on British Airways metal.

Antonyms

• (any of a number of chemical elements in the periodic table that form a metallic bond with other metal atoms) nonmetal

Derived terms

Adjective

1. (music) Characterized by strong, fast drum-beats and distorted guitars. 1970s and after

Related terms

• heavy metal

Verb

1. To make a road using crushed rock, stones etc.----