# metal
## English

* Some well-known metallic elements
* aluminium
* iron
* copper
* silver

### Etymology

From Middle English metal, a borrowing from Old French metal, from Latin metallum (“metal, mine, quarry, mineral”), itself a borrowing from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon, “mine, quarry, metal”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈmɛtəl/
* Audio (US); [ˈmɛɾɫ̩]:(file)
* Audio (UK); [ˈmɛtɫ̩]:(file)
* Rhymes: -ɛtəl
* Homophones: mettle (general), medal, meddle (in accents with flapping)

### Noun

metal (countable and uncountable, plural metals)
* (heading) Chemical elements or alloys, and the mines where their ores come from.
** 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 April 21, “Subtle effects”, in The Economist, volume 411, number 8884: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.
** Any material with similar physical properties, such as an alloy.
*** 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC: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. The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window […].
** (astronomy) An element which was not directly created after the Big Bang but instead formed through nuclear reactions; any element other than hydrogen and helium.
*** 2003, Michael A. Seeds, Astronomy: The Solar System and Beyond, Thomson Brooks/Cole, →ISBN:Most of the matter in stars is hydrogen and helium, and the metals (including carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and so on) were cooked up inside stars.
*** 2008, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Geochemical Society, Oxygen in the solar system, Mineralogical Society of Amer →ISBN
    Thus, for the remaining elements, including oxygen, the solid phase appears to be important. In fact, at a metallicity of Z=0.02, and with a gas-to-dust ratio of 100, about half of the metals — including oxygen — are contained in the solid phase.
*** 2015, Alan Longstaff, Astrobiology: An Introduction, CRC Press, →ISBN, page 350:Metals include oxygen and carbon which means that water and organic molecules would have been abundant in the early universe, perhaps paving the way for the emergence of life within a couple of billion years of the Big Bang.
** Crushed rock, stones etc. used to make a road.
*** 1922, Falls Cyril, The History of the 36th (Ulster) Division‎, M'Caw, Stevenson and Orr, Ltd:One of the most important tasks was the metalling of the roads, and the dumping of metal beside them in parts where it was impossible to lay it, in order that work might commence with the assault. The surface of the roads was good, but only because the Division had been holding a front so wide, which made the traffic upon them relatively light.
** (mining) The ore from which a metal is derived.
** (obsolete) A mine from which ores are taken.
*** 1660, Jeremy Taylor, Ductor Dubitantium, or the Rule of Conscience in All Her General Measures; […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: […] James Flesher, for Richard Royston […], →OCLC:slaves […] and persons condemned to metals
* (heraldry) A light tincture used in a coat of arms, specifically argent (white or silver) and or (gold).
* (glassblowing) Molten glass that is to be blown or moulded to form objects.
* (music) A category of rock music encompassing a number of genres (including thrash metal, death metal, heavy metal, etc.) characterized by strong drum-beats and distorted guitars.
* (figurative, archaic) The substance that constitutes something or someone; matter; hence, character or temper.
    Synonym: mettle
** 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], page 104:Leonato. Well, neece, I hope to ſee you one day fitted with a husband. / Beatrice. Not till God make men of ſome other mettall then earth, would it not grieue a woman to be over-maſtred with a peece of valiant duſt?
* The effective power or calibre of guns carried by a vessel of war.
* (UK, in the plural) The rails of a railway.
* (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

* (antonym(s) of “any of a number of chemical elements in the periodic table that form a metallic bond with other metal atoms”): nonmetal

#### Derived terms

* Aich's metal
* Albion metal
* alkali metal
* alkaline-earth metal
* alkaline earth metal
* alkylmetal
* allylmetal
* alternative metal
* alt-metal
* arylmetal
* avant-metal
* Babbitt metal, babbitt metal
* Babbitt's metal
* bare metal
* base metal
* Bath metal
* bell metal
* bi-metal strip
* biometal
* bite my shiny metal ass
* black metal
* blond metal
* blue metal
* Britannia metal
* bush-metal
* cannon metal
* Celtic metal
* cermet
* Christian metal
* composition metal
* cyclometalate
* death metal
* delta metal
* depressive black metal
* dimetal
* doom metal
* drone metal
* Dutch metal
* earth metal
* emo metal
* Euro-metal
* expanded metal
* extreme metal
* ferrometal
* Field's metal
* folk-metal
* folk metal
* full metal jacket
* funk metal
* funk-metal
* gilding metal
* glam metal
* glass metal
* groove metal
* gun-metal
* gun metal
* gunmetal
* hair metal
* half-metal
* hard metal
* heavy metal
* heavy metal umlaut
* heterometal
* holy unblack metal
* hot metal
* hot metal typesetting
* industrial metal
* intermetal
* king of metals
* Kingston's metal
* leaf metal
* marine metal
* melodic death metal
* memory metal
* metalammonium
* metal aquo complex
* metalate
* metalation
* metalbearing
* metalbilly
* metal carbonyl
* metal cluster compound
* metal complex
* metalcore
* metalcraft
* metal-detect
* metal detecting
* metal detector
* metal detectorist
* metalformer
* metalforming
* metalgaze
* metal halide lamp
* metalhead
* metal homeostasis
* metal hydride
* metalise
* metalish
* metalize
* metallate
* metalless
* metallic
* metallicity
* metallide
* metalliferous
* metallike
* metalline
* metallise
* metallism
* metallization
* metallize
* metallo-
* metallography
* metalloid
* metallole
* metally
* metalmaking
* metalman
* metalmark
* metal master
* metalmonger
* metal mouth
* metalness
* metal-neutral
* metal neutral
* metalorganic
* metal-organic framework
* metal-poor
* metal rubber
* metal shop
* metalsmith
* metalsmithing
* metaltail
* metal-to-metal
* metalware
* metalworker
* metalworking
* metalworks
* mischmetal
* monkey metal
* multimetal
* mu-metal
* Muntz metal
* nanometal
* noble metal
* non-metal
* non metallic metal
* non-metallic metal
* nü-metal
* nu metal, nu-metal
* off-metal
* organometal
* outmetal
* pedal to the metal
* perfect metal
* poor metal
* pop metal
* post-metal
* post-transition metal
* pot metal
* power metal
* precious metal
* Prince Rupert's metal
* prince's metal
* progressive metal
* protometal
* put pedal to the metal
* put the pedal to the metal
* radiometal
* rap metal
* rare earth metal
* refractory metal
* remetal
* Rieke metal
* road metal
* Rose's metal
* royal metal
* semimetal
* semi-metal
* sheet metal
* sheet-metal
* sludge metal
* speculum metal
* speed metal
* stoner metal
* thrash metal
* transition metal
* trimetal
* Tula metal
* type metal
* unblack metal
* Viking metal
* white metal
* Wood's metal
* yellow metal

#### Related terms

* metalling (noun)

#### Translations
### Adjective

metal (comparative more metal, superlative most metal)
* (music) Characterized by strong drum-beats and distorted guitars. [1970s and after]
* Having the emotional or social characteristics associated with metal music; brash, bold, frank, unyielding, etc.
** 2008, Lich King, “Attack of the Wrath of the War of the Death of the Strike of the Sword of the Blood of the Beast”, in Toxic Zombie Onslaught:The beast will destroy everything in his path With this song on the upcoming brawl It sure is a long one and tough to pronounce but It's the most metal title of all
** 2012 August, “Tested Bowling Balls”, in Front‎, number 171, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 40:Top tip: Bowling gloves are for sissies, although they look metal as fuck.

#### Related terms

* heavy metal

### Verb

metal (third-person singular simple present metals, present participle metaling or metalling, simple past and past participle metaled or metalled)
* To make a road using crushed rock, stones etc.

### References

* ↑ Rossiter W[orthington] Raymond (1881) “Metal”, in A Glossary of Mining and Metallurgical Terms. […], Easton, Pa.: [American] Institute [of Mining Engineers], […], →OCLC.
* ↑ Edward H[enry] Knight (1877) “Metal”, in Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary. […], volumes II (GAS–REA), New York, N.Y.: Hurd and Houghton […], →OCLC.

## Albanian
### Noun

metal m (definite metali)
* (chemistry) metal

### Further reading

* “metal”, in FGJSH: Fjalor i gjuhës shqipe [Dictionary of the Albanian language] (in Albanian), 2006
* “metal”, in FGJSSH: Fjalor i gjuhës së sotme shqipe [Dictionary of the modern Albanian language]‎ (in Albanian), 1980

## Aragonese
### Etymology

From Latin metallum, from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon).

### Noun

metal m (plural metals)
* metal

### References

* Bal Palazios, Santiago (2002) “metal”, in Dizionario breu de a luenga aragonesa, Zaragoza, →ISBN

## Asturian
### Etymology

From Latin metallum, from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon).

### Noun

metal m (plural metales)
* metal

## Breton
### Noun

metal m (plural metaloù)
* metal

#### Inflection
## Catalan
### Alternative forms

* heavy-metal

### Etymology

Borrowed from English metal. Doublet of metall.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: (Central, Balearic) [ˈme.təl]
* IPA: (Valencia) [ˈme.tal]

### Noun

metal m (uncountable)
* (music) metal

### Further reading

* “metal” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.

## Czech
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈmɛtal]

### Participle

metal
* masculine singular past active participle of metat

## Danish
### Etymology

From Latin metallum, from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon, “metal, mine”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /metal/, [meˈtˢal]

### Noun

metal n (singular definite metallet, plural indefinite metaller)
* metal

#### Inflection
### Further reading

* “metal” in Den Danske Ordbog
* “metal” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog

## Dutch
### Etymology

Borrowed from English metal.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈmɛ.təl/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: me‧tal

### Noun

metal m (uncountable)
* (music) metal (rock genre)
    Synonym: heavy metal

#### Derived terms

* metalband

#### Related terms

* metaal

## French
### Alternative forms

* métal

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /me.tal/
* Audio (Switzerland):(file)

### Noun

metal m (uncountable)
* metal (music style)

#### Derived terms

* metal chrétien

## Italian
### Etymology

Borrowed from English metal.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈmɛ.tal/
* Rhymes: -ɛtal
* Hyphenation: mè‧tal

### Noun

metal m (invariable)
* (music) metal
    Synonym: heavy metal

#### Related terms

* metallaro

### References

* ↑ metal in Luciano Canepari, Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)

### Anagrams

* malte

## Middle English
### Alternative forms

* matall, mataylle, metail, metaille, metall, metalle, metel, metell, metelle, mettall, mettel

### Etymology

Borrowed from Old French metal, from Latin metallum, from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /mɛˈtaːl/, /ˈmɛtal/, /ˈmɛtəl/

### Noun

metal (plural metalles)
* metal (class of elements)
* metalwork (metal item)
* (mining) metal, ore
* (heraldry, rare) metal (class of tinctures)

#### Descendants

* English: metal, mettle
* Scots: metal
* → Welsh: metel

#### References

* “metal, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

## Middle French
### Noun

metal m (plural metaulx)
* metal

## Occitan
### Alternative forms

* metau

### Etymology

From Latin metallum, from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon). Attested from the 12th century.

### Pronunciation

* Audio (Béarn):(file)

### Noun

metal m (plural metals)
* metal

#### Related terms

* metallic
* metallurgia

### References

* ↑ Diccionari General de la Lenga Occitana, L’Academia occitana – Consistòri del Gai Saber, 2008-2024, page 380.

### Further reading

* Joan de Cantalausa (2006) Diccionari general occitan a partir dels parlars lengadocians‎, 2 edition, →ISBN, page 644.

## Old French
### Etymology

From Latin metallum, see above.

### Noun

metal oblique singular, m (oblique plural metaus or metax or metals, nominative singular metaus or metax or metals, nominative plural metal)
* metal (material)

## Old Spanish
### Etymology

Borrowed with apocope from Latin metallum, from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /meˈtal/

### Noun

metal m (plural metales)
* metal
** c. 1250, Alfonso X, Lapidario, 2r:Et es grand marauilla que el fierro que uence todos los otros metales por fortaleza que a en ſi uence lo eſta piedra por ſu ṕṕedat.And it is a great marvel that iron, which defats all other metals due to the strength it has, is defeated by this stone due to its property.
** Idem, f. 21v.
    Et otroſſi ſi lo mezclan con eſtanno torna negro. ⁊ ſi con plata lo mezclan recibe la blancura della ⁊ aſſi faz con cada metal.And also, if they mix it with tin it becomes black, and if they mix it with silver it receives whiteness from it, and likewise with every metal.

#### Descendants

* Spanish: metal

## Piedmontese
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /meˈtal/

### Noun

metal m (plural metaj)
* metal

#### Related terms

* metàlich

## Polish
### Etymology

Internationalism; compare English metal, French métal, German Metall, ultimately from Latin metallum, from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon). Sense 3 is a semantic loan from English metal.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈmɛ.tal/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -ɛtal
* Syllabification: me‧tal

### Noun

metal m inan (related adjective metalowy)
* (chemistry) metal (atomic element or material made of such atoms)
    Antonym: niemetal
* (heraldry) metal (light tincture used in a coat of arms, specifically argent (white or silver) and or (gold))
* metal (style of music)

#### Declension
### Noun

metal m pers
* (music, slang) metalhead, metaller, metallist (one who listens to heavy metal music)
    Synonyms: heavymetalowiec, metalowiec

#### Derived terms

* bimetaliczny
* bimetalistyczny
* bimetalowy
* metaliczny
* bimetal
* bimetalista
* bimetalizm
* metalowiec

#### Related terms

* metalicznie
* metaliczność

### Further reading

* metal in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
* metal in Polish dictionaries at PWN

## Portuguese
### Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese metal, from Old Spanish metal, from Old Catalan metall, matall, from Latin metallum (“metal, mine, quarry, mineral”), from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon, “mine, quarry, metal”).

#### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /meˈtaw/ [meˈtaʊ̯]
* (Portugal) IPA: /mɨˈtal/ [mɨˈtaɫ]
* (Portugal) IPA: /mɨˈtal/ [mɨˈtaɫ]
** (Southern Portugal) IPA: /mɨˈta.li/
* Rhymes: -al, -aw
* Hyphenation: me‧tal

#### Noun

metal m (plural metais)
* (chemistry) metal (any of a number of elements that form a metallic bond with other metal atoms)
    Antonyms: não-metal, ametal
* metal (any of a number of a number of hard but malleable materials consisting of metallic atoms)
* (poetic) money; wealth; riches
    Synonyms: riqueza, dinheiro
* (heraldry) white (argent) or yellow (or) tincture on a coat of arms
* (music, usually in the plural) brass instrument

##### Derived terms

* ametal
* ametalado
* ametalar
* metalagem
* metaleiro
* metalo-
* metaloide
* não-metal

##### Related terms

* metálico

### Etymology 2

Unadapted borrowing from English metal.

#### Pronunciation

* (Portugal) IPA: /ˌmɛˈtɐl/ [ˌmɛˈtɐɫ], /mɨˈtal/ [mɨˈtaɫ]
* (Portugal) IPA: /ˌmɛˈtɐl/ [ˌmɛˈtɐɫ], /mɨˈtal/ [mɨˈtaɫ]
** (Southern Portugal) IPA: /ˌmɛˈtɐ.li/, /mɨˈta.li/

#### Noun

metal m (uncountable)
* (music) metal; heavy metal
    Synonym: heavy metal

##### Derived terms

* metaleiro

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French métal or German Metall.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /meˈtal/

### Noun

metal n (plural metale)
* metal

#### Related terms

* metalic

### Further reading

* metal in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)

## Serbo-Croatian
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /mětaːl/
* Hyphenation: me‧tal

### Noun

mètāl m (Cyrillic spelling мѐта̄л)
* (chemistry) metal
    Synonym: kovina

#### Declension
## Slovene
### Participle

métał
* masculine singular l-participle of metáti

## Spanish
### Etymology

Inherited from Old Spanish metal, from Old French métal or Old Occitan metall, these from Latin metallum, from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon, “mine, quarry, metal”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /meˈtal/ [meˈt̪al]
* Audio (Colombia):(file)
* Rhymes: -al
* Syllabification: me‧tal

### Noun

metal m (plural metales)
* metal
* (heraldry) metal
* (music) metal

#### Derived terms

* detector de metal
* el vil metal
* metal alcalino
* metal de transición
* metal noble
* metal pesado
* metal precioso
* sierra para metales

#### Related terms

* metálico
* metalizar

### Further reading

* “metal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

## Tagalog
### Alternative forms

* mital — obsolete

### Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish metal, from Old Spanish metal, from Old French métal or Old Occitan metall, these from Latin metallum, from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon, “mine, quarry, metal”).

### Pronunciation

* (Standard Tagalog) IPA: /meˈtal/ [mɛˈt̪al]
* Rhymes: -al
* Syllabification: me‧tal

### Noun

metál (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜒᜆᜎ᜔)
* metal
    Synonym: (rare) kansa

#### Derived terms

* metal na alkali

#### Related terms

* metalika
* metaliko
* metalurhiya

#### See also

* bakal

### Further reading

* “metal”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018

## Turkish
### Etymology

From French métal.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /me.tal/
* Audio:(file)

### Noun

metal (definite accusative metali, plural metaller)
* metal

#### Declension
### Further reading

* “metal”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu
* Ayverdi, İlhan (2010) “metal”, in Misalli Büyük Türkçe Sözlük, a reviewed and expanded single-volume edition, Istanbul: Kubbealtı Neşriyatı

## Turkmen
### Pronunciation

* Hyphenation: me‧tal

### Noun

metal (definite accusative metaly, plural metallar)
* metal

#### Declension
### Further reading

* “metal” in Enedilim.com
* “metal” in Webonary.org