metal

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noun, often attributive met·al \ ˈme-tᵊl \

Definition of metal

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 alloy

2 a :mettle 1a

b :the substance out of which a person or thing is made

3 :glass in its molten state

4 a :printing type metal

b :matter set in metal type

5 :road metal

6 :heavy metal 2

See metal defined for English-language learners

See metal defined for kids

Examples of metal in a Sentence

a mixture of various kinds of metal
sculptors who work in metal and clay
a mixture of different metals

Recent Examples of metal from the Web

Cellphone video of the attack shows Harris being beaten by a group of White men with metal poles and umbrellas.

— veronica hilbring, Essence.com, "One Of The White Supremacists Who Beat Deandre Harris In Charlottesville Is Arrested," 28 Aug. 2017
A decade ago, Gunn — who sports several tattoos, metal ear plugs and a piercing under his lip — was locked up, surrounded by other felons.

— beth warren, The Courier-Journal, "‘I was scared to get sober': He dealt heroin, now he's been clean six years," 24 Aug. 2017
Ruud and her boyfriend slept in a converted metal building, like a barn, the deputy wrote in the affidavit.

— avi selk, Washington Post, "A teen reunited with her birth mother — who then killed her and burned her body, police say," 23 Aug. 2017
Bloomberg’s Industrial Metals Index has advanced almost 30 percent, while gauges for energy, agriculture and precious metals are negative.

— samuel potter, Bloomberg.com, "Rally in Base Metals Is Starting to Look Pretty Extreme: Chart," 22 Aug. 2017
Visitors will find fine arts and handmade crafts including drawing, painting in oils, watercolors or acrylics, fibers, floral, glass, jewelry, handmade soap, metal work, photography, pottery, basketry, ceramics, sculpture and woodworking.

— The Aegis, "Havre de Grace Art Show back for 54th year Saturday, Sunday," 18 Aug. 2017
As the current or wind pulls a ship this way and that, the ship needs its anchor to bite into the sea floor, but with enough slack in the chain that the boat won't start dragging that hunk of metal all over the place.

— eric limer, Popular Mechanics, "How Mega-Ships Drop Their Giant Anchors," 15 Aug. 2017
One night will be dedicated to a celebration of devotional music created by Alice Coltrane, and another to a mini-fest within the fest celebrating heavy metal of Mexico.

— brittany martin, Los Angeles Magazine, "A 23-Day Music Festival Coming to LA This Fall Will Use Your Favorite Parts of the City as a Stage," 15 Aug. 2017
But his father pointed out that, in the canon of the show, at least, there are three smiths who can re-work the metal, if not forge it fresh.

— joanna robinson, HWD, "Game of Thrones: This Tiny Detail Could Be the Real Reason Gendry’s Back," 13 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'metal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of metal

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

Other Chemical Engineering Terms

alkali, cation, decant, hygroscopic, isotope, oxidize, slurry, solute, viscous

metal

verb

Definition of metal

metaled or metalled; metaling or metalling

transitive verb

:to cover or furnish with metal

First Known Use of metal

1617

METAL Defined for English Language Learners

metal

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noun

Definition of metal for English Language Learners

: a substance (such as gold, tin, or copper) that usually has a shiny appearance, is a good conductor of electricity and heat, can be melted, and is usually capable of being shaped

METAL Defined for Kids

metal

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noun met·al \ ˈme-tᵊl \

Definition of metal for Students

1 :a substance (as gold, tin, copper, or bronze) that has a more or less shiny appearance, is a good conductor of electricity and heat, and usually can be made into a wire or hammered into a thin sheet

2 :mettle

Medical Dictionary

metal

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noun met·al \ ˈmet-ᵊl \

medical Definition of metal

: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 alloy