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metal Definition

metal (met'l)

noun

    1. any of a class of chemical elements, as iron, gold, or aluminum, generally characterized by ductility, malleability, luster, and conductivity of heat and electricity: these elements act as cations in chemical reactions, form bases with the hydroxyl radical, and can replace the hydrogen of an acid to form a salt
    2. an alloy of such elements, as brass or bronze
  1. any substance or thing consisting of metal
  2. material or substance of which someone or something is made; stuff
  3. molten cast iron
  4. molten material for making glassware
  5. heavy metal
  6. Chiefly Brit. road metal
  7. Heraldry either of the tinctures gold (or) and silver (argent)
  8. Printing
    1. type metal
    2. composed type

Etymology: OFr < L metallum, metal, mine, quarry < Gr metallon, mine, quarry

adjective

made of metal

transitive verb metaled -·aled or metalled -·alled, metaling -·al·ing or metalling -·al·ling

to cover or supply with metal
metal Synonyms

metal

n.

element, native rock, ore, metalliferous ore, ore deposit, free metal, refined ore, smelted ore; see also alloy, mineral.

Elementary metals and varieties of metal include: gold, silver, copper, iron, steel, aluminum, manganese, nickel, lead, cobalt, platinum, zinc, tin, barium, cadmium, chromium, tungsten, mercury, iridium, molybdenum, antimony, vanadium, alunite, corundum, lithium, sodium, potassium, ribidium, caesium, casium, strontium, radium, beryllium, magnesium, gallium, indium, thallium, cerium, calcium, celtium, anthanium, americium, terbium, holmium, titanium, germanium, arsenic, bismuth, uranium, dysprosium, erbium, rhodium, ruthenium, palladium, osmium, indium, lanthanum, entecium, neodymium, niobium, praseodymion, samarium, tantalum, thorium, thulium, ytterbium, zirconium.

metal Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • melt: The skin friction of the missile at those speeds at those altitudes would melt any metals or nonmetals available.
  • trace: Dr. C M G van den Berg speciation of trace metals in natural waters.
  • bend: Place the metal on top of the card frame and carefully bend the metal over each of the edges.

Adjective modifier

  • precious: A hallmark is a series of official marks that verify the purity of an article made from precious metal.
  • heavy: I'm also a fan of good ' ol heavy metal.
  • molten: Blessed, 8, from Zimbabwe, a country in southern Africa, knows all about molten metal.
  • non-ferrous: Bronze Age It is a highly specialized foundry using the lost wax method to cast works in bronze and other non-ferrous metals.
  • ferrous: Corrosion destroys one-fifth of the world's production of ferrous metals annually!
  • toxic: On top of this trees will absorb many impurities in the air, for example particles of toxic metals, such as lead.

Modifies a noun

  • detector: Do you need a license to use a metal detector?
  • halide: How does the solubility of silver halides compare with the solubility of group I metal halides?
  • ion: The wind is analogous to the electron current, the leaves on the tree to the metal ions in a conductor.
  • oxide: Reaction with acids Magnesium oxide reacts with acids as you would expect any simple metal oxide to react.
  • plate: Rich people used metal plates of silver or pewter.
  • detectorists: The CBA also recognizes that damage can be caused by metal detectorists ' activities.

Noun used with modifier

  • scrap: Scrap metal Scrap metal can be taken to our Recycling Center.
  • alkali: Alkali Metal: reactive metallic elements which form alkaline solutions in water and burn in air.
  • transition: I am interested to see whether such novel behavior is mirrored in transition metal systems.
  • sheet: Does your building have aging sheet metal or asbestos roofs or leaks?
  • uranium: This recognition of the discharge of uranium metal posed of becquerel's false.
metal Quotes

The cold metal of economic theory is in Marx's pages immersed in such a wealth of steaming phrases as to acquire a temperature not naturally its own.

—Schumpeter,Joseph Alois

Among the forests Of metal the one human Sound was the lament of The poets for deciduous language.

—Thomas, R(onald) S(tuart)