metal

noun, often attributive

met·al | \ ˈme-tᵊl

Definition of metal

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

2a : mettle sense 1a

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

3 : glass in its molten state

4a : printing type metal

b : matter set in metal type

5 : road metal

6 : heavy metal sense 2

metal

verb

metaled or metalled; metaling or metalling

Definition of metal (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to cover or furnish with metal

Examples of metal in a Sentence

Noun

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Workers cutting metal sparked a three-alarm fire that destroyed a Lawrence home and displaced 12 people, Massachusetts State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey’s office said. — Alyssa Lukpat, BostonGlobe.com, "Workers cutting metal ignited 3-alarm blaze that destroyed Lawrence home," 29 Aug. 2019 Its agreements to buy precious metals before they are produced support mine development. — Alex Demarban, Anchorage Daily News, "Dunleavy encourages Canadian company weighing investment in Pebble mine," 29 Aug. 2019 Besides, gold and silver coins were trustworthy because they were made of valuable metals. — Jonah Estess, The Conversation, "Curious Kids: Why is money green?," 29 Aug. 2019 According to a press release from the brand, the sale includes all velvet, matte, and metal finish Lip Kits on the site. — Nicola Dall'asen, Allure, "Kylie Cosmetics Is Offering BOGO Lip Kits for Labor Day With Zero Catch," 29 Aug. 2019 Fire crews extinguished multiple cars and an exterior metal shed. — Thy Vo, The Mercury News, "Firefighters put out fire at car storage shed in San Jose," 28 Aug. 2019 This towering scrap-metal Mike Dean would be the optimal appointment. — SI.com, "Ranking Film & TV Robots by How Good a Linesman They Would Make," 26 Aug. 2019 The new scanners were designed to detect potential threats that are not necessarily metal. — ProPublica, "When Transgender Travelers Walk Into Scanners, Invasive Searches Sometimes Wait on the Other Side," 26 Aug. 2019 The process leaves behind solids or metals that can be safely discarded or reused. — Akshat Rathi, Quartz, "Bill Gates-led $1 billion fund expands its portfolio of startups fighting climate change," 26 Aug. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

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

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.

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More Definitions for metal

metal

noun

English Language Learners Definition of metal

: 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

See the full definition for metal in the English Language Learners Dictionary

metal

noun

met·al | \ ˈme-tᵊl

Kids Definition of metal

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

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