Any of a class of chemical elements that are typically lustrous solids that are good conductors of heat and electricity. In chemistry, metals fall into two distinct types. They tend to form positive ions and so are described as electropositive. This is contrasted with typical nonmetallic behaviour of forming negative ions. They form coordination complexes.
All metals have oxides that are basic, although some, such as aluminium, have amphoteric properties.
The Macmillan Encyclopedia 2001 4. All rights reserved.