metal
a hard substance such as gold, silver, or copper
Not to be confused with:
mettle – inherent quality of character; fortitude; courage
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
met·al
(mĕt′l)n.
1. Any of a category of electropositive elements that usually have a shiny surface, are generally good conductors of heat and electricity, and can be melted or fused, hammered into thin sheets, or drawn into wires. Typical metals form salts with nonmetals, basic oxides with oxygen, and alloys with one another.
2. An alloy of two or more metallic elements.
3. An object made of metal.
4. Basic character; mettle.
5. Broken stones used for road surfaces or railroad beds.
6. Molten glass, especially when used in glassmaking.
7. Molten cast iron.
8. Printing Type made of metal.
9. Music Heavy metal.
tr.v. met·aled, met·al·ing, met·als also met·alled or met·al·ling
To cover or surface (a roadbed, for example) with broken stones.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin metallum, from Greek metallon, mine, ore, metal.]
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.
metal
(ˈmɛtəl)n
1. (Elements & Compounds)
a. any of a number of chemical elements, such as iron or copper, that are often lustrous ductile solids, have basic oxides, form positive ions, and are good conductors of heat and electricity
b. an alloy, such as brass or steel, containing one or more of these elements
2. (Printing, Lithography & Bookbinding) printing type made of metal
3. (Ceramics) the substance of glass in a molten state or as the finished product
4. (Civil Engineering) short for road metal
5. (Pop Music) informal short for heavy metal1
6. (Military) navy
a. the total weight of projectiles that can be shot by a ship's guns at any one time
b. the total weight or number of a ship's guns
7. (Elements & Compounds) astronomy Also called: heavy element any element heavier than helium
8. (Heraldry) heraldry gold or silver
9. (Railways) (plural) the rails of a railway
adj
made of metal
vb (tr) , -als, -alling or -alled, -als, -aling or -aled
10. (Metallurgy) to fit or cover with metal
11. (Civil Engineering) to make or mend (a road) with road metal
[C13: from Latin metallum mine, product of a mine, from Greek metallon]
ˈmetal-ˌlike adj
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
met•al
(ˈmɛt l)n., v. -aled, -al•ing (esp. Brit.) -alled, -al•ling. n.
1. any of a class of elementary substances, as gold, silver, or copper, all of which are crystalline when solid and many of which are characterized by opacity, ductility, conductivity, and a unique luster when freshly fractured.
2. such a substance in its pure state, as distinguished from alloys.
3. an alloy or mixture of such substances, as brass.
4. an element yielding positively charged ions in aqueous solutions of its salts.
5. formative material; stuff.
6. mettle.
7. printing type made of metallic alloy.
8. molten glass in the pot or melting tank.
9. road metal.
10. heavy metal.
v.t. 11. to furnish or cover with metal.
[1250–1300; Middle English (< Old French) < Latin metallum quarry, metal < Greek métallon]
met′al•like`, adj.
metal.
1. metallurgical.
2. metallurgy.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
met·al
(mĕt′l)1. Any of a large group of elements, including iron, gold, copper, lead, and magnesium, that conduct heat and electricity well. Metals can be hammered into thin sheets or drawn into wires. They are usually shiny and opaque. All metals except mercury are solid at room temperature.
2. An alloy, such as steel or bronze, made of two or more metals.
Usage We think of metals as hard, shiny materials used to make things like paper clips and cars. But for chemists, a metal is a chemical element that loses electrons in a chemical reaction. Metal atoms do this because of the structure of their electron shells—the layers in which electrons are arranged around an atom's nucleus. If an element's outermost electron shell is filled, the element is stable and does not react easily. But if the shell contains only a few electrons, the atom will try to share them with another atom in a chemical reaction, thereby becoming stable. Elements having only one electron in their outermost shell are the most reactive; all they have to do to become stable is lose this electron. Such elements are alkali metals like sodium and potassium, and they are listed in the left-hand column of the Periodic Table at Periodic Table. The metals farther toward the right side of the Periodic Table, such as tin and lead, have more electrons in their outermost shell and are not as reactive because sharing or losing all these electrons would require more energy. The elements that fall between these extremes are somewhat reactive and are called transition elements. They include elements like iron, copper, tungsten, and silver.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
metal
Past participle: metalled
Gerund: metalling
| Imperative |
|---|
| metal |
| metal |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Noun | 1. |  metal - any of several chemical elements that are usually shiny solids that conduct heat or electricity and can be formed into sheets etc.heavy metal - a metal of relatively high density (specific gravity greater than about 5) or of high relative atomic weight (especially one that is poisonous like mercury or lead) base metal - a metal that is common and not considered precious; "lead, iron, copper, tin, and zinc are base metals" chemical element, element - any of the more than 100 known substances (of which 92 occur naturally) that cannot be separated into simpler substances and that singly or in combination constitute all matter noble metal - any metal that is resistant to corrosion or oxidation Al, aluminium, aluminum, atomic number 13 - a silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite Am, americium, atomic number 95 - a radioactive transuranic metallic element; discovered by bombarding uranium with helium atoms antimony, atomic number 51, Sb - a metallic element having four allotropic forms; used in a wide variety of alloys; found in stibnite atomic number 56, Ba, barium - a soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group; found in barite atomic number 97, berkelium, Bk - a radioactive transuranic element; discovered by bombarding americium with helium atomic number 4, Be, beryllium, glucinium - a light strong brittle grey toxic bivalent metallic element atomic number 83, Bi, bismuth - a heavy brittle diamagnetic trivalent metallic element (resembles arsenic and antimony chemically); usually recovered as a by-product from ores of other metals atomic number 48, cadmium, Cd - a soft bluish-white ductile malleable toxic bivalent metallic element; occurs in association with zinc ores atomic number 20, Ca, calcium - a white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light; the fifth most abundant element in the earth's crust; an important component of most plants and animals atomic number 98, californium, Cf - a radioactive transuranic element; discovered by bombarding curium with alpha particles atomic number 58, Ce, cerium - a ductile grey metallic element of the lanthanide series; used in lighter flints; the most abundant of the rare-earth group atomic number 55, caesium, cesium, Cs - a soft silver-white ductile metallic element (liquid at normal temperatures); the most electropositive and alkaline metal atomic number 24, chromium, Cr - a hard brittle multivalent metallic element; resistant to corrosion and tarnishing atomic number 27, cobalt, Co - a hard ferromagnetic silver-white bivalent or trivalent metallic element; a trace element in plant and animal nutrition atomic number 29, copper, Cu - a ductile malleable reddish-brown corrosion-resistant diamagnetic metallic element; occurs in various minerals but is the only metal that occurs abundantly in large masses; used as an electrical and thermal conductor atomic number 96, curium, Cm - a radioactive transuranic metallic element; produced by bombarding plutonium with helium nuclei atomic number 66, Dy, dysprosium - a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; forms compounds that are highly magnetic atomic number 99, einsteinium, Es, E - a radioactive transuranic element produced by bombarding plutonium with neutrons atomic number 68, Er, erbium - a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs with yttrium atomic number 100, fermium, Fm - a radioactive transuranic metallic element produced by bombarding plutonium with neutrons atomic number 87, Fr, francium - a radioactive element of the alkali-metal group discovered as a disintegration product of actinium atomic number 64, gadolinium, Gd - a ductile silvery-white ductile ferromagnetic trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group atomic number 31, gallium, Ga - a rare silvery (usually trivalent) metallic element; brittle at low temperatures but liquid above room temperature; occurs in trace amounts in bauxite and zinc ores atomic number 72, hafnium, Hf - a grey tetravalent metallic element that resembles zirconium chemically and is found in zirconium minerals; used in filaments for its ready emission of electrons atomic number 67, Ho, holmium - a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs together with yttrium; forms highly magnetic compounds atomic number 49, indium, In - a rare soft silvery metallic element; occurs in small quantities in sphalerite |
| 2. |  metal - a mixture containing two or more metallic elements or metallic and nonmetallic elements usually fused together or dissolving into each other when molten; "brass is an alloy of zinc and copper"mixture - (chemistry) a substance consisting of two or more substances mixed together (not in fixed proportions and not with chemical bonding) heavy metal - a metal of relatively high density (specific gravity greater than about 5) or of high relative atomic weight (especially one that is poisonous like mercury or lead) 18-karat gold - an alloy that contains 75 per cent gold 22-karat gold - an alloy that contains 87 per cent gold Alnico - trade name for an alloy used to make high-energy permanent magnets; contains aluminum and iron and nickel plus cobalt or copper or titanium amalgam, dental amalgam - an alloy of mercury with another metal (usually silver) used by dentists to fill cavities in teeth; except for iron and platinum all metals dissolve in mercury and chemists refer to the resulting mercury mixtures as amalgams fusible metal - an alloy with a low melting point and used as solder and in safety plugs and sprinkler fuses electrum - an alloy of gold and silver pewter - any of various alloys of tin with small amounts of other metals (especially lead) pinchbeck - an alloy of copper and zinc that is used in cheap jewelry to imitate gold pot metal - an alloy of copper and lead used especially for making large pots solder - an alloy (usually of lead and tin) used when melted to join two metal surfaces white gold - a pale alloy of gold usually with platinum or nickel or palladium type metal - an alloy of tin and lead and antimony used to make printing type bearing metal, white metal - an alloy (often of lead or tin base) used for bearings babbitt, Babbitt metal - an alloy of tin with some copper and antimony; a lining for bearings that reduces friction Britannia metal - an alloy similar to pewter CARBOLOY - [trademark] an alloy based on tungsten with cobalt or nickel as a binder; used in making metal-cutting tools steel - an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range cheoplastic metal - any alloy that fuses at low temperatures and can be used molding artificial teeth copper-base alloy - any alloy whose principal component is copper dental gold - an alloy of gold used in dentistry Duralumin - an aluminum-based alloy Inconel - a nickel-base alloy with chromium and iron; used in gas-turbine blades Invar - an alloy of iron and nickel having a low coefficient of thermal expansion; used in tuning forks and measuring tapes and other instruments nickel alloy, nickel-base alloy - an alloy whose main constituent is nickel German silver, nickel silver - a silver-white alloy containing copper and zinc and nickel pyrophoric alloy - an alloy that emits sparks when struck or scratched with steel; used in lighter flints shot metal - an alloy that is 98% lead and 2% arsenic; used in making small shot primary solid solution, solid solution - a homogeneous solid that can exist over a range of component chemicals; a constituent of alloys that is formed when atoms of an element are incorporated into the crystals of a metal Stellite - ® a very hard alloy of cobalt and chromium with cobalt as the principal ingredient; used to make cutting tools and for surfaces subject to heavy wear sterling silver - a silver alloy with no more than 7.5% copper tambac, tombac, tombak - an alloy of copper and zinc (and sometimes arsenic) used to imitate gold in cheap jewelry and for gilding Wood's alloy, Wood's metal - a fusible alloy that is half bismuth plus lead, tin, and cadmium; melts at about 160 degrees Fahrenheit | |
| Verb | 1. |  metal - cover with metal |
| Adj. | 1. |  metal - containing or made of or resembling or characteristic of a metal; "a metallic compound"; "metallic luster"; "the strange metallic note of the meadow lark, suggesting the clash of vibrant blades"- Ambrose Biercenonmetal, nonmetallic - not containing or resembling or characteristic of a metal; "nonmetallic elements" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
metal
noun
Metals
| Metal | Symbol |
|---|---|
| actinium | Ac |
| aluminium | Al |
| americium | Am |
| antimony | Sb |
| barium | Ba |
| berkelium | Bk |
| beryllium | Be |
| bismuth | Bi |
| cadmium | Cd |
| caesium or (U.S.) cesium | Cs |
| calcium | Ca |
| californium | Cf |
| cerium | Ce |
| chromium | Cr |
| cobalt | Co |
| copper | Cu |
| curium | Cm |
| dysprosium | Dy |
| einsteinium | Es |
| erbium | Er |
| europium | Eu |
| fermium | Fm |
| francium | Fr |
| gadolinium | Gd |
| gallium | Ga |
| germanium | Ge |
| gold | Au |
| hafnium | Hf |
| holmium | Ho |
| indium | In |
| iridium | Ir |
| iron | Fe |
| lanthanum | La |
| lawrencium | Lr |
| lead | Pb |
| lithium | Li |
| lutetium | Lu |
| magnesium | Mg |
| manganese | Mn |
| mendelevium | Md |
| mercury | Hg |
| molybdenum | Mo |
| neodymium | Nd |
| neptunium | Np |
| nickel | Ni |
| niobium | Nb |
| nobelium | No |
| osmium | Os |
| palladium | Pd |
| platinum | Pt |
| plutonium | Pu |
| polonium | Po |
| potassium | K |
| praseodymium | Pr |
| promethium | Pm |
| protactinium | Pa |
| radium | Ra |
| rhenium | Re |
| rhodium | Rh |
| rubidium | Rb |
| ruthenium | Ru |
| samarium | Sm |
| scandium | Sc |
| silver | Ag |
| sodium | Na |
| strontium | Sr |
| tantalum | Ta |
| technetium | Tc |
| terbium | Tb |
| thallium | Tl |
| thorium | Th |
| thulium | Tm |
| tin | Sn |
| titanium | Ti |
| tungsten or wolfram | W |
| uranium | U |
| vanadium | V |
| ytterbium | Yb |
| yttrium | Y |
| zinc | Zn |
| zirconium | Zr |
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
فِلِز، فِلِزّي، مَعْدَنيمعدنمَعْدَنمَعْدَنُ
kovkovový
metal
metalo
metall
metallimetallinen
metalkovina
fémérc
málmurmálmblanda
金属
금속
metallum
kaip metalasmetalasmetalinismetalo
metālkausējumsmetāls
metal
kov
kovina
metall
โลหะ
kim loại
metal
[ˈmetl]A. N
1. (Chem, Phys) → metal m
2. (Brit) (on road) → grava f
3. (Brit) (Rail) metals → rieles mpl
4. (fig) = mettle
C. VT (Brit) [+ road] → engravar
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
metal
[ˈmɛtəl]Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
metal
metal
:metal-arc welding
n (Tech) → Metalllichtbogenschweißen nt
metal detector
n → Metallsuchgerät nt
metal
in cpds → Metall-;metal plating
n → Metallschicht f; (= act) → Plattierung f
metal polish
n → Metallpolitur f
metal processing
n → Metallverarbeitung f
metalwork
metalworker
n → Metallarbeiter(in) m(f)
metalworking
n → Metallbearbeitung f
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
metal
(ˈmetl) noun, adjective1. (of) any of a group of substances, usually shiny, that can conduct heat and electricity and can be hammered into shape, or drawn out in sheets, bars etc. Gold, silver and iron are all metals.
2. (of) a combination of more than one of such substances. Brass is a metal made from copper and zinc.
meˈtallic (-ˈtӕ-) adjective1. made of metal. a metallic element.
2. like a metal (eg in appearance or sound). metallic blue; a metallic noise.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
metal
→ مَعْدَنُ kov metal Metall μέταλλο metal metalli métal metal metallo 金属 금속 metaal metall metal metal метал metall โลหะ metal kim loại 金属Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
met·al
n. metal;
___ fume fever → fiebre por aspiración de vapores metálicos
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012
metal
n metal m; heavy — metal pesadoEnglish-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.