ingot

noun

in·​got ˈiŋ-gət 

1

: a mass of metal cast into a convenient shape for storage or transportation to be later processed

2

: a mold in which metal is cast

Did you know?

An ingot is a mass of metal that has been cast into a size and shape (such as a bar, plate, or sheet) that is convenient to store, transport, and work into a semi-finished or finished product. The term also refers to a mold in which metal is so cast. Steel ingots range in size from small rectangular blocks weighing a few pounds (or kilograms) to huge, tapered, octagonal masses weighing more than 500 tons (450 metric tons).

Examples of ingot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On windy days, whiffs of smelting iron blew in from a factory, just beyond a set of train tracks, that produced ingots for the rest of the United States. — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026

The ship was also transporting 155 ingots of gold bullion valued at up to £2 million, allocated to the Bank of India as part of an effort to stabilize the rupee. — Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Aug. 2026

At one point, his statue in Charlottesville, Virginia, was melted down into two tons of bronze ingots. — Tara Sonenshine, Baltimore Sun, 11 July 2026

There’s enough cash on hand for Rhaenyra to administer the Seven Kingdoms for a fortnight, and no one remaining from the old regime — not Alicent, not Orwyle — knows where Lannister hid the rest of the ingots. — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, perhaps modification of Middle French lingot ingot of metal, incorrectly divided as l'ingot, as if from le the

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing ingot

• ingot iron

Kids Definition

ingot

noun

in·​got ˈiŋ-gət 

: a mass of metal cast into a shape that is easy to handle or store