nickel

noun

nick·el | \ ˈni-kəl

variants: or less commonly nickle

Definition of nickel

1 : a silver-white hard malleable ductile metallic element capable of a high polish and resistant to corrosion that is used chiefly in alloys and as a catalyst — see Chemical Elements Table

2a(1) : the U.S. 5-cent piece regularly containing 25 percent nickel and 75 percent copper

(2) : the Canadian 5-cent piece

b : five cents

3 slang : a packet containing five dollars worth of an illicit drug (such as marijuana)

— called also nickel bag

4 : a pass defense in football that employs five defensive backs

Examples of nickel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Corner Kevon Seymour has good size and can play nickel and on the outside. — Jourdan Rodrigue, charlotteobserver, "Last man standing from Panthers' 'shop-hungry' draft knows what must happen next," 14 June 2018 In conjunction with Motiv Power Systems and its EPIC platform, Winnebago aims for a single-phase J1772 220-volt charging system, capable of returning 85 to 125 miles on one single 6-8-hour charge from its eight sodium-nickel batteries. — Blake Z. Rong, Popular Mechanics, "RVs Are More Efficient Than Ever, Thanks to Eco-Friendly Manufacturing," 15 May 2019 Its two CDs were contained in a silver- and nickel-plated box; they were accompanied by 174 pages of liner notes, hand-bound in leather. — John Anderson, WSJ, "‘Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men’ Review: Group Therapy," 9 May 2019 Don't forget to apply lots of sunscreen as well — at least a shot glass-full for the body, a nickel-size dollop for the face, says GH Beauty Lab Director Birnur Aral, Ph.D. 7. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "How to Get Rid of a Sunburn ASAP," 16 Apr. 2019 Extra points — Junior Isaiah Gilchrist — who has also lined up at safety and cornerback this spring — played nickel Friday and turned in tackles for loss on back-to-back plays. — Mike Vorel, The Seattle Times, "Observations from the UW Huskies’ sixth practice of spring football," 12 Apr. 2019 Aluminum and nickel surged this week as global supply chains were disrupted by the sanctions. — Bloomberg.com, "Metals Cap Turbulent Week as Rusal Sanctions Fuel Supply Fears," 20 Apr. 2018 Behind Bryant at nickel, Molden’s potential impact may be diminished. — Mike Vorel, The Seattle Times, "Washington opens spring football this week. These are the top story lines to watch.," 1 Apr. 2019 They are coated with 67 unique layers of nickel-rich steels to ensure that the first cut is as sharp as one made 100 years down the line. — Popular Mechanics, "These Laser-Sharp Japanese Knives Are a Kitchen Staple," 14 Mar. 2019

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

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Last Updated

18 Jun 2019

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The first known use of nickel was in 1755

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More Definitions for nickel

nickel

noun

English Language Learners Definition of nickel

: a hard silver-white metal

: a U.S. or Canadian coin that is worth five cents

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

nickel

noun

nick·el | \ ˈni-kəl

Kids Definition of nickel

1 : a hard silvery white metallic chemical element that can be highly polished, resists weathering, and is used in alloys

2 : a United States coin worth five cents

nickel

noun

nick·el | \ ˈnik-əl

Medical Definition of nickel

: a silver-white hard malleable ductile metallic element capable of a high polish and resistant to corrosion that is used chiefly in alloys and as a catalyst —symbol Ni — see Chemical Elements Table