metal

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

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

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

Beyond steel, the bigger question is what the metal tariffs mean for the North American Free-Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which links America, Canada and Mexico together for production of many goods, and which Mr Trump is seeking to renegotiate.

— The Economist, "The Trump administration imposes tariffs on America’s closest allies," 1 June 2018
In the April accident, serious metal fatigue caused a single, fast-moving engine-fan blade to break into pieces at roughly 32,000 feet.

— andy pasztor, WSJ, "FAA Moved Slower Than Usual on Engine Warning Ahead of Southwest Fatality," 20 May 2018
The failure appeared to happen near where the blade attaches to the engine turbine, and the NTSB found an area of metal fatigue more than two inches long on the blade.

— jason laughlin, Philly.com, "Southwest plane engine failure that caused an emergency landing complied with inspection recommendations," 3 May 2018
The airworthiness directive calls for an ultrasonic inspection because the cracks and metal fatigue are not visible to the naked eye.

— rene marsh and gregory wallace, CNN, "FAA mandates more engine inspections following Southwest incident," 1 May 2018
The National Transportation Safety Board said a fan blade that had snapped off the engine was showing signs of metal fatigue.

— david koenig, chicagotribune.com, "Southwest Airlines has been faced with fines, union safety complaints," 24 Apr. 2018
Indeed, that event a year and a half ago is sparking criticism of the FAA’s and the airline industry’s apparently desultory response to the problem of metal fatigue.

— barbara peterson, Popular Mechanics, "Airlines Race To Inspect the Engine That Went Wrong on Southwest Flight 1380," 24 Apr. 2018
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating whether metal fatigue on a fan blade contributed to the jet's engine blowing apart, firing shrapnel along the fuselage and smashing a window.

— brett molina, USA TODAY, "Some Southwest flight 1380 passengers reportedly have received $5,000 checks from the airline," 20 Apr. 2018
In the past two years, two Southwest Airlines 737s have had major engine failures that seemed to be the result of metal fatigue, according to evidence compiled by the National Transportation Safety Board.

— zach wichter, New York Times, "F.A.A. Orders Closer Engine Inspections After Southwest Airlines Failure," 20 Apr. 2018

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

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First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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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

Recent Examples of metal from the Web

The silicone holder attaches to metal vehicle surfaces (don’t try it on aluminum or fiberglass).

— kim campbell thornton, sacbee, "What’s shaking in dog- and cat-product innovations? | The Sacramento Bee," 2 May 2018

First Known Use of metal

1617

in the meaning defined above

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METAL Defined for English Language Learners

metal

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

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

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