e·nam·el

(ĭ-năm′əl)

1. A vitreous, usually opaque, protective or decorative coating baked on metal, glass, or ceramic ware.

2. An object having such a coating, as in a piece of cloisonné.

3. A coating that dries to a hard glossy finish: nail enamel.

4. A paint that dries to a hard glossy finish.

5. Anatomy The hard, calcareous substance covering the exposed portion of a tooth.

tr.v. e·nam·eled, e·nam·el·ing, e·nam·els or e·nam·elled or e·nam·el·ling

1. To coat, inlay, or decorate with enamel.

2. To give a glossy or brilliant surface to.

3. To adorn with a brightly colored surface.

[From Middle English enamelen, to put on enamel, from Anglo-Norman enamailler : en-, on (from Old French; see en-¹) + amail, enamel (from Old French esmail, of Germanic origin; see mel- in Indo-European roots).]

e·nam′el·er, e·nam′el·ist n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Mentioned in

enamel

References in periodicals archive

Born in France during the dining-out craze of the Jazz Age and amid the culinary revolution led by Auguste Escoffier, Le Creuset started in 1925 when casting expert Armand Desaegher joined forces with enameler Octave Aubecq to produce an enameled cocotte that would combine the heating properties of cast iron with the beauty and durability of enamel.

Le Creuset French Oven

"As a Welsh speaker, I enjoy writing, reading and finding words that really touch people," says the 30-year-old enameler from Bont Newydd, near Caernarfon.

Kooky girl with words of wisdom

From the delicate hues favored by the maison's master enamelers to the gadrooned pattern around the rim of the dial that, much like a hem, lends each timepiece its structure, the techniques pay homage to the tradition and culture of bespoke tailoring.

It's Complicated: High design and mind-blowing mechanics merge to combine form and function

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