metal
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈmɛ.təl/
rhymes: -ɛtəl
homophone: medal (t-flapping)
homophone: meddle (t-flapping)
homophone: mettle
Forms: form: metals
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”).
Senses: examples: text: 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.
ref: 2014 April 21, “Subtle effects”, in The Economist, volume 411, number 8884, archived from the original on 26 Mar 2019:
text: Earth is surrounded by a magnetosphere — an invisible bubble of magnetism generated by the powerful churning of molten metals at Earth’s core.
ref: 2023 December 27, Mindy Weisberger, “Ancient bricks baked when Nebuchadnezzar II was king absorbed a power surge in Earth’s magnetic field”, in CNN:
topics: heading
glosses: Chemical elements or alloys, their ores, 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.
examples: text: 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[…].
ref: 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:
topics: heading
glosses: Chemical elements or alloys, their ores, and the mines where their ores come from.
Any material with similar physical properties as those chemical elements, especially as a combination of several of them, such as an alloy.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 2003, Michael A. Seeds, Astronomy: The Solar System and Beyond, Thomson Brooks/Cole, →ISBN:
text: 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.
text: 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.
ref: 2015, Alan Longstaff, Astrobiology: An Introduction, CRC Press, →ISBN, page 350:
topics: astronomy
heading
natural-sciences
glosses: Chemical elements or alloys, their ores, and the mines where their ores come from.
An element which was not directly created after the Big Bang but instead formed through nuclear reactions; any element other than hydrogen and helium.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 1922, Falls Cyril, The History of the 36th (Ulster) Division, M'Caw, Stevenson and Orr, Ltd:
topics: heading
glosses: Chemical elements or alloys, their ores, and the mines where their ores come from.
Crushed rock, stones etc. used to make a road.
topics: business
heading
mining
glosses: Chemical elements or alloys, their ores, and the mines where their ores come from.
The ore from which a metal is derived.
examples: text: slaves[…]and persons condemned to metals
ref: 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:
topics: heading
glosses: Chemical elements or alloys, their ores, and the mines where their ores come from.
A mine from which ores are taken.
topics: government
heraldry
hobbies
lifestyle
monarchy
nobility
politics
coordinate_terms: color
stain
fur
glosses: A light tincture used in a coat of arms, specifically argent (white or silver) and or (gold).
topics: arts
crafts
glassblowing
hobbies
lifestyle
glosses: Molten glass that is to be blown or moulded to form objects.
examples: text: While the motive is still under investigation, authorities said that Matthews’ interest in black metal music may have influenced his behavior.
ref: 2019 April 11, Harmeet Kaur, “Authorities say black metal may have influenced the Louisiana church fires suspect. Here’s what to know.”, in CNN:
topics: entertainment
lifestyle
music
glosses: A category of rock music encompassing a number of genres (including thrash metal, death metal, heavy metal, etc.) characterized by strong drumbeats and distorted guitars.
examples: text: 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?
ref: 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:
synonyms: mettle
glosses: The substance that constitutes something or someone; matter; hence, character or temper.
glosses: The effective power or calibre of guns carried by a vessel of war.
glosses: The rails of a railway.
examples: text: We have American Airlines tickets, but it's on British Airways metal.
topics: aeronautics
aerospace
aviation
business
engineering
lifestyle
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
tourism
transport
travel
glosses: The actual airline operating a flight, rather than any of the codeshare operators.
Synonyms: word: metal
Hyponyms: word: noble metal
word: gold
word: silver
word: iron
word: mercury
word: copper
word: chemical element
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
bell-metal ore
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
close to the 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
gunmetal
gun-metal
gun metal
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 Bridge
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
metal jacket
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
metal umlaut
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
proto-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
semi-metal
semimetal
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: word: metalling
word: :Category:Metals