Library / English Dictionary

METAL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: metalled    , metalling   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A mixture containing two or more metallic elements or metallic and nonmetallic elements usually fused together or dissolving into each other when molten

Example:

brass is an alloy of zinc and copper

Synonyms:

alloy; metal

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("metal" is a kind of...):

mixture ((chemistry) a substance consisting of two or more substances mixed together (not in fixed proportions and not with chemical bonding))

Meronyms (substance of "metal"):

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)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "metal"):

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)

oreide; oroide (alloy of copper and tin and zinc; used in imitation gold jewelry)

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 (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-base alloy; nickel 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)

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)

Derivation:

metal (cover with metal)

metallic (containing or made of or resembling or characteristic of a metal)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Any of several chemical elements that are usually shiny solids that conduct heat or electricity and can be formed into sheets etc.

Synonyms:

metal; metallic element

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("metal" is a kind of...):

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)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "metal"):

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)

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; Co; cobalt (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; Cm; curium (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; E; einsteinium; Es (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 63; Eu; europium (a bivalent and trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group)

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; Ga; gallium (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; In; indium (a rare soft silvery metallic element; occurs in small quantities in sphalerite)

atomic number 77; Ir; iridium (a heavy brittle metallic element of the platinum group; used in alloys; occurs in natural alloys with platinum or osmium)

atomic number 26; Fe; iron (a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood)

atomic number 57; La; lanthanum (a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth)

atomic number 82; lead; Pb (a soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element; bluish white when freshly cut but tarnishes readily to dull grey)

atomic number 3; Li; lithium (a soft silver-white univalent element of the alkali metal group; the lightest metal known; occurs in several minerals)

atomic number 71; Lu; lutecium; lutetium (a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; usually occurs in association with yttrium)

atomic number 12; magnesium; Mg (a light silver-white ductile bivalent metallic element; in pure form it burns with brilliant white flame; occurs naturally only in combination (as in magnesite and dolomite and carnallite and spinel and olivine))

atomic number 25; manganese; Mn (a hard brittle grey polyvalent metallic element that resembles iron but is not magnetic; used in making steel; occurs in many minerals)

atomic number 80; Hg; hydrargyrum; mercury; quicksilver (a heavy silvery toxic univalent and bivalent metallic element; the only metal that is liquid at ordinary temperatures)

atomic number 42; Mo; molybdenum (a polyvalent metallic element that resembles chromium and tungsten in its properties; used to strengthen and harden steel)

atomic number 60; Nd; neodymium (a yellow trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs in monazite and bastnasite in association with cerium and lanthanum and praseodymium)

atomic number 93; neptunium; Np (a radioactive transuranic metallic element; found in trace amounts in uranium ores; a by-product of the production of plutonium)

atomic number 28; Ni; nickel (a hard malleable ductile silvery metallic element that is resistant to corrosion; used in alloys; occurs in pentlandite and smaltite and garnierite and millerite)

atomic number 41; Nb; niobium (a soft grey ductile metallic element used in alloys; occurs in niobite; formerly called columbium)

atomic number 76; Os; osmium (a hard brittle blue-grey or blue-black metallic element that is one of the platinum metals; the heaviest metal known)

atomic number 46; palladium; Pd (a silver-white metallic element of the platinum group that resembles platinum; occurs in some copper and nickel ores; does not tarnish at ordinary temperatures and is used (alloyed with gold) in jewelry)

atomic number 84; Po; polonium (a radioactive metallic element that is similar to tellurium and bismuth; occurs in uranium ores but can be produced by bombarding bismuth with neutrons in a nuclear reactor)

atomic number 19; K; potassium (a light soft silver-white metallic element of the alkali metal group; oxidizes rapidly in air and reacts violently with water; is abundant in nature in combined forms occurring in sea water and in carnallite and kainite and sylvite)

atomic number 59; Pr; praseodymium (a soft yellowish-white trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; can be recovered from bastnasite or monazite by an ion-exchange process)

atomic number 61; Pm; promethium (a soft silvery metallic element of the rare earth group having no stable isotope; was discovered in radioactive form as a fission product of uranium)

atomic number 91; Pa; protactinium; protoactinium (a short-lived radioactive metallic element formed from uranium and disintegrating into actinium and then into lead)

atomic number 88; Ra; radium (an intensely radioactive metallic element that occurs in minute amounts in uranium ores)

atomic number 75; Re; rhenium (a rare heavy polyvalent metallic element that resembles manganese chemically and is used in some alloys; is obtained as a by-product in refining molybdenum)

atomic number 45; Rh; rhodium (a white hard metallic element that is one of the platinum group and is found in platinum ores; used in alloys with platinum)

atomic number 37; Rb; rubidium (a soft silvery metallic element of the alkali metal group; burns in air and reacts violently in water; occurs in carnallite and lepidolite and pollucite)

atomic number 44; Ru; ruthenium (a rare polyvalent metallic element of the platinum group; it is found associated with platinum)

atomic number 62; samarium; Sm (a grey lustrous metallic element of the rare earth group; is used in special alloys; occurs in monazite and bastnasite)

atomic number 21; Sc; scandium (a white trivalent metallic element; sometimes classified in the rare earth group; occurs in the Scandinavian mineral thortveitite)

atomic number 11; Na; sodium (a silvery soft waxy metallic element of the alkali metal group; occurs abundantly in natural compounds (especially in salt water); burns with a yellow flame and reacts violently in water; occurs in sea water and in the mineral halite (rock salt))

atomic number 38; Sr; strontium (a soft silver-white or yellowish metallic element of the alkali metal group; turns yellow in air; occurs in celestite and strontianite)

atomic number 73; Ta; tantalum (a hard grey lustrous metallic element that is highly resistant to corrosion; occurs in niobite and fergusonite and tantalite)

atomic number 43; Tc; technetium (a crystalline metallic element not found in nature; occurs as one of the fission products of uranium)

atomic number 65; Tb; terbium (a metallic element of the rare earth group; used in lasers; occurs in apatite and monazite and xenotime and ytterbite)

atomic number 81; thallium; Tl (a soft grey malleable metallic element that resembles tin but discolors on exposure to air; it is highly toxic and is used in rodent and insect poisons; occurs in zinc blende and some iron ores)

atomic number 90; Th; thorium (a soft silvery-white tetravalent radioactive metallic element; isotope 232 is used as a power source in nuclear reactors; occurs in thorite and in monazite sands)

atomic number 69; thulium; Tm (a soft silvery metallic element of the rare earth group; isotope 170 emits X-rays and is used in small portable X-ray machines; it occurs in monazite and apatite and xenotime)

atomic number 50; Sn; tin (a silvery malleable metallic element that resists corrosion; used in many alloys and to coat other metals to prevent corrosion; obtained chiefly from cassiterite where it occurs as tin oxide)

atomic number 22; Ti; titanium (a light strong grey lustrous corrosion-resistant metallic element used in strong lightweight alloys (as for airplane parts); the main sources are rutile and ilmenite)

atomic number 74; tungsten; W; wolfram (a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite)

atomic number 92; U; uranium (a heavy toxic silvery-white radioactive metallic element; occurs in many isotopes; used for nuclear fuels and nuclear weapons)

atomic number 23; V; vanadium (a soft silvery white toxic metallic element used in steel alloys; it occurs in several complex minerals including carnotite and vanadinite)

atomic number 70; Yb; ytterbium (a soft silvery metallic element; a rare earth of the lanthanide series; it occurs in gadolinite and monazite and xenotime)

atomic number 39; Y; yttrium (a silvery metallic element that is common in rare-earth minerals; used in magnesium and aluminum alloys)

atomic number 30; zinc; Zn (a bluish-white lustrous metallic element; brittle at ordinary temperatures but malleable when heated; used in a wide variety of alloys and in galvanizing iron; it occurs naturally as zinc sulphide in zinc blende)

atomic number 40; zirconium; Zr (a lustrous grey strong metallic element resembling titanium; it is used in nuclear reactors as a neutron absorber; it occurs in baddeleyite but is obtained chiefly from zircon)

alkali metal; alkaline metal (any of the monovalent metals of group I of the periodic table (lithium or sodium or potassium or rubidium or cesium or francium))

alkaline-earth metal; alkaline earth (any of the bivalent metals of group II of the periodic table (calcium or strontium or barium or magnesium or beryllium))

Derivation:

metal (cover with metal)

metallic (containing or made of or resembling or characteristic of a metal)

 II. (adjective) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Containing or made of or resembling or characteristic of a metal

Example:

the strange metallic note of the meadow lark, suggesting the clash of vibrant blades

Synonyms:

metal; metallic

Classified under:

Adjectives

Similar:

all-metal (consisting completely of metal)

aluminiferous (containing alum or aluminum)

antimonial (containing antimony)

argentiferous (containing or yielding silver)

auriferous; gold-bearing (containing gold)

bimetal; bimetallic (formed of two different metals or alloys; especially in sheets bonded together)

bronze (made from or consisting of bronze)

gilded; gold; golden (made from or covered with gold)

metal-looking; metallic-looking; metallike (resembling metal)

silver (made from or largely consisting of silver)

tinny (thin and metallic in sound; lacking resonance)

 III. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cover with metal

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "metal" is one way to...):

coat; surface (put a coat on; cover the surface of; furnish with a surface)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

metal (a mixture containing two or more metallic elements or metallic and nonmetallic elements usually fused together or dissolving into each other when molten)

metal (any of several chemical elements that are usually shiny solids that conduct heat or electricity and can be formed into sheets etc.)

Credits

 Context examples: 

In medicine, chelating agents are used to remove toxic metals from the body.

(Chelating agent, NCI Dictionary)

This protein is involved in trace metal binding.

(Metallothionein-1G, NCI Thesaurus)

“This is where the young man’s body lay,” said he, indicating a spot about three feet from the metals.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Family of enzymes which use a metal ion in the catalytic process and preferentially cleave the Gln-Gly peptide bond.

(Metalloproteinase, NIH CRISP Thesaurus)

An object composed of, or containing metal.

(Metallic Object, NCI Thesaurus)

Metal closure that is designed or constructed to be significantly difficult for children under five years of age to open and not difficult for normal adults to use properly.

(Child Resistant Metal Container Closure, Food and Drug Administration)

A silver-white, poisonous metal that is a liquid at ordinary temperatures.

(Mercury, NCI Dictionary)

The specific parts of a protein molecule that directly participate in its interactions with a metal ion.

(Metal Binding Site, NCI Thesaurus)

This finding therefore opens a novel field of the greatest interest, about microbial precipitation in seawater and the role of extracellular polymeric substances in mineral precipitation and the absorption of diverse metals.

(Researchers discover the oceanic precipitation mechanism for barium, which is a proxy for marine bacterial productivity, University of Granada)

He had a metal plate made, on which was stamped: RETURN TO WALT IRVINE, GLEN ELLEN, SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)