metal


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Related to metal: heavy metal

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.
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
Present
I metal
you metal
he/she/it metals
we metal
you metal
they metal
Preterite
I metalled
you metalled
he/she/it metalled
we metalled
you metalled
they metalled
Present Continuous
I am metalling
you are metalling
he/she/it is metalling
we are metalling
you are metalling
they are metalling
Present Perfect
I have metalled
you have metalled
he/she/it has metalled
we have metalled
you have metalled
they have metalled
Past Continuous
I was metalling
you were metalling
he/she/it was metalling
we were metalling
you were metalling
they were metalling
Past Perfect
I had metalled
you had metalled
he/she/it had metalled
we had metalled
you had metalled
they had metalled
Future
I will metal
you will metal
he/she/it will metal
we will metal
you will metal
they will metal
Future Perfect
I will have metalled
you will have metalled
he/she/it will have metalled
we will have metalled
you will have metalled
they will have metalled
Future Continuous
I will be metalling
you will be metalling
he/she/it will be metalling
we will be metalling
you will be metalling
they will be metalling
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been metalling
you have been metalling
he/she/it has been metalling
we have been metalling
you have been metalling
they have been metalling
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been metalling
you will have been metalling
he/she/it will have been metalling
we will have been metalling
you will have been metalling
they will have been metalling
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been metalling
you had been metalling
he/she/it had been metalling
we had been metalling
you had been metalling
they had been metalling
Conditional
I would metal
you would metal
he/she/it would metal
we would metal
you would metal
they would metal
Past Conditional
I would have metalled
you would have metalled
he/she/it would have metalled
we would have metalled
you would have metalled
they would have metalled
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.metal - any of several chemical elements that are usually shiny solids that conduct heat or electricity and can be formed into sheets etc.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 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, 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 moltenmetal - 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
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 - [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
Verb1.metal - cover with metalmetal - cover with metal      
coat, surface - put a coat on; cover the surface of; furnish with a surface; "coat the cake with chocolate"
Adj.1.metal - containing or made of or resembling or characteristic of a metalmetal - 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 Bierce
nonmetal, 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

MetalSymbol
actiniumAc
aluminiumAl
americiumAm
antimonySb
bariumBa
berkeliumBk
berylliumBe
bismuthBi
cadmiumCd
caesium or (U.S.) cesiumCs
calciumCa
californiumCf
ceriumCe
chromiumCr
cobaltCo
copperCu
curiumCm
dysprosiumDy
einsteiniumEs
erbiumEr
europiumEu
fermiumFm
franciumFr
gadoliniumGd
galliumGa
germaniumGe
goldAu
hafniumHf
holmiumHo
indiumIn
iridiumIr
ironFe
lanthanumLa
lawrenciumLr
leadPb
lithiumLi
lutetiumLu
magnesiumMg
manganeseMn
mendeleviumMd
mercuryHg
molybdenumMo
neodymiumNd
neptuniumNp
nickelNi
niobiumNb
nobeliumNo
osmiumOs
palladiumPd
platinumPt
plutoniumPu
poloniumPo
potassiumK
praseodymiumPr
promethiumPm
protactiniumPa
radiumRa
rheniumRe
rhodiumRh
rubidiumRb
rutheniumRu
samariumSm
scandiumSc
silverAg
sodiumNa
strontiumSr
tantalumTa
technetiumTc
terbiumTb
thalliumTl
thoriumTh
thuliumTm
tinSn
titaniumTi
tungsten or wolframW
uraniumU
vanadiumV
ytterbiumYb
yttriumY
zincZn
zirconiumZr
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) metalsrieles mpl
4. (fig) = mettle
B. ADJmetálico, de metal
C. VT (Brit) [+ road] → engravar
D. CPD metal detector Ndetector m de metales
metal fatigue Nfatiga f del metal
metal polish Nabrillantador m de metales
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]
n
(= material) → métal/aux m
(particular metal)métal/aux m
(= musical style) → métal m, metal m
adj (= made of metal) → en métal, métalliquemetal detector ndétecteur m de métauxmetal fatigue nfatigue f du métal
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

metal

n
Metall nt; (Brit: on road) → Schotter m
metals pl (Rail) → Schienen pl
(Mus: = heavy metal) → Heavy Metal nt
vt (Brit) roadbeschottern; metalled roadAsphaltstraße f (mit Schotterunterbau)

metal

:
metal-arc welding
n (Tech) → Metalllichtbogenschweißen nt
metal detector
nMetallsuchgerät nt

metal

in cpdsMetall-;
metal plating
nMetallschicht f; (= act)Plattierung f
metal polish
nMetallpolitur f
metal processing
metalwork
nMetall nt; we did metal at schoolwir haben in der Schule Metallarbeiten gemacht
metalworker
nMetallarbeiter(in) m(f)
metalworking
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

metal

[ˈmɛtl]
1. nmetallo
road metal → pietrisco
2. adjin metallo
3. vtmassicciare
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

metal

(ˈmetl) noun, adjective
1. (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-) adjective
1. 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 feverfiebre por aspiración de vapores metálicos
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

metal

n metal m; heavy — metal pesado
English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
References in classic literature ?
Also, the substance of it was metal, though unlike any metal, or combination of metals, he had ever known.
It was during this dance that the ape-man first noticed that some of the men and many of the women wore ornaments of gold--principally anklets and armlets of great weight, apparently beaten out of the solid metal. When he expressed a wish to examine one of these, the owner removed it from her person and insisted, through the medium of signs, that Tarzan accept it as a gift.
Had not the rifle of the leader of the party swung from its fastenings beside his saddle in such a way as to strike against the butt of his great metal shod spear I should have snuffed out without ever knowing that death was near me.
"I struck metal, that time, and it nearly broke my beak."
But luckily the dull radiation arrested him before he could burn his hands on the still-glowing metal. At that he stood irresolute for a moment, then turned, scrambled out of the pit, and set off running wildly into Woking.
On the discussion being renewed, "Gentlemen," said Barbicane, "we must now take into consideration the metal to be employed.
The visitor slipped a plain metal armlet from above his elbow, and pointing to an inscription upon its inner surface, whispered a word or two to the clerk.
What was there in common between that pile of dirty metal and the beautiful, sparkling pebbles that had formerly been in his pouch?
On the contrary, the room was of dazzling brilliance and beauty, for it was lined throughout with an exquisite metal that resembled translucent frosted silver.
The writers of universal histories and of the history of culture are like people who, recognizing the defects of paper money, decide to substitute for it money made of metal that has not the specific gravity of gold.
There remained nothing more to be done but to enclose our heads in the metal box.
Inside were suspended many sheets of tin or thin iron, and against these metal sheets a row of donkeys were pounding their heels with vicious kicks.