nickel

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 Since nickel is associated with high shine brightness, this silverware will have a more matte finish. — Nicole Briese, USA TODAY, "These 51-piece silverware sets are $30 right now at Macy's," 14 Aug. 2020 Their coffee still costs a nickel, and their donuts, according to Hustead, are legendary. — Dina Gachman, Smithsonian Magazine, "Will America’s Roadside Attractions Survive COVID-19?," 12 Aug. 2020 Also low were pink prices – a nickel a pound compares to a regionwide average of 33 cents in 2019. — Anchorage Daily News, "2020 salmon returns have been so poor that Alaska communities already are claiming fishery disasters," 11 Aug. 2020 If extracted in an environmentally sustainable manner, metals found in the deep seabed such as nickel, copper, manganese and cobalt, have the potential to help meet our global clean energy goals. — Michael W. Lodge, Scientific American, "How to Mine the Oceans Sustainably," 11 Aug. 2020 Fangio said Callahan, like at the start of last year’s camp, will work at outside in the Broncos’ base defense and inside as the nickel in the sub packages. — Ryan O’halloran, The Denver Post, "Von Miller gave “serious consideration” to opting out, but is confident in team’s protocols," 4 Aug. 2020 Finding a way to get three good linebackers on the field used to be easy, back before teams started spreading out their formations, putting extra receivers on the field and forcing defenses to play out of their nickel and dime packages all the time. — Joel A. Erickson, The Indianapolis Star, "Colts scheming up ways to play Darius Leonard, Anthony Walker, Bobby Okereke at LB together," 4 Aug. 2020 Their blades are nickel-free — great for those, like me, who are allergic to the metal. — Megan Muessen, NBC News, "Why I'll only shave with a Billie Razor," 30 July 2020 He's expected to play as the team's primary nickel cornerback this fall. — Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Lions' Justin Coleman, Isaac Nauta added to team's COVID-19 list," 30 July 2020

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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about nickel

Dictionary Entries near nickel

Statistics for nickel

Last Updated

18 Aug 2020

Cite this Entry

“Nickel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nickel. Accessed 22 Aug. 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

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

Keep scrolling for more