Main Entry:

¹met·al

Pronunciation:

\ˈme-t^əl\

Function:

noun

Usage:

often attributive

Etymology:

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin metallum mine, metal, from Greek metallon

Date:

14th century

1: any of various opaque, fusible, ductile, and typically lustrous substances that are good conductors of electricity and heat, form cations by loss of electrons, and yield basic oxides and hydroxides ; especially : one that is a chemical element as distinguished from an alloy2 a: mettle 1a b: the substance out of which a person or thing is made3: glass in its molten state4 a: printing type metal b: matter set in metal type5: road metal6: heavy metal