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metal

metal

889 1.1
A shiny solid material that conducts heat and electricity and can be shaped
  • noun
  • /ˈmɛtəl/
: metal
  • We're drilling through some kind of metal I've never seen before.
  • heavy metals
  • trace metals
  • sheet metal

And she had metal rods in her legs.

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Examples

  • After the storm, we discovered that the metal fence had rusted and needed to be replaced.

  • Lead is a heavy, soft metal found at homes in many forms.

    Academic text (2015)
  • A customer sees it, and good sheet metal looks better than bad.

    Academic text (2011)
  • It almost looks like liquid metal on my hand here.

  • Demolition waste typically contains aggregate, concrete, wood, paper, metal, insulation, glass, and other building materials.

    Academic text (1999)
  • The artist used a shiny metal to create an intricate sculpture that glimmered in the sunlight.

  • The construction workers preferred using metal beams for the building's framework because of their strength.

Synonyms

metallic element
vsmetal
  • Specialized
2 4.2

A natural substance, usually shiny, that lets electricity pass through it and can be shaped into sheets or wires

is the common shorter form used in everyday language

Idioms

To drive or work as fast as possible, often to finish something

1 9.9

A rude, joking phrase to tell someone to go away

Compounds

A machine that makes a sound or shows a light when it finds metal

44 3.9

Loud rock music with distorted guitars and strong rhythms

A rare metal like gold or silver that has high value

19 2.8

Pieces of old metal that people throw away to be melted and reused

heavy metal
  • Specialized
17 4.8

A dense metal that is often poisonous, like lead or mercury

12 3.7

A group of musicians who play very loud rock music with electric guitars

sheet metal
  • Specialized
11 3.4

Thin, flat pieces of metal used to make or cover things

A type of loud, powerful rock with strong guitar sounds, fast drums, and angry lyrics

full metal jacket
  • Specialized
2 7.4

A bullet with a lead core covered in hard metal like copper that does not break on impact

2 3.7

Made only of metal with no parts of any other material

base metal
  • Specialized
2 4.0

A common metal like iron or copper that is not as valuable as gold

2 6.8

A loud 1980s rock style with big hair, flashy clothes, and guitar solos

metal mouth
  • Offensive
1 7.7

A person whose teeth have visible metal braces

1 2.8

A small metal piece with a spiral thread that you turn to hold things together

alkali metal
  • Specialized
1 5.6

A soft metal that reacts strongly with water, like lithium, sodium, or potassium

metal-cutting
  • Specialized
1 4.8

Tools or machines that cut metal

sheet-metal work
  • Specialized
1 4.9

The job of shaping and joining thin metal sheets to make building parts like vents

yellow metal
  • Specialized
1 7.8

A strong metal made from copper with extra zinc used for cast parts

noble metal
  • Specialized
1 6.4

A metal that does not get damaged by air or water, like gold and platinum

alkaline metal
  • Specialized
1 7.0

A soft, very reactive metal like sodium or potassium that easily loses one electron

1 3.2

A large round metal container that holds liquids and dry goods for storage and transport

Metal made from old products so it can be used again

An object that looks like metal because of its color or shine

metal plating
  • Specialized
1 3.9

A thin metal layer on a surface for protection or decoration

1 3.5

A tool you hold in one hand for cutting metal like pipes

liquid metal reactor
  • Specialized
1 8.1

A nuclear reactor that uses liquid metal to carry heat away

pot metal
  • Specialized
1 7.9

Cheap mix of metals used to make low-cost items like pots

Having a shiny color like silver or gold

1 1.8

Coins used to pay instead of paper notes

1 7.4

A type of heavy metal music that uses traditional folk instruments and melodies

1 9.9

Silvery white metal people make from tin mixed with small amounts of other metals used for tableware and decorative items

1 4.2

A golf club with a metal head used for long shots

white metal
  • Specialized
1 7.0

A silvery metal made from tin or lead used for bearings and moving machine parts

misch metal
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A mix of metals used to make lighter flints because it catches fire easily when struck

bearing metal
  • Specialized
1 7.6

A metal made by mixing metals that helps machine parts move smoothly

type metal
  • Archaic
1 8.4

A mix of three metals like lead and tin that printers use to make letters for printing

1 7.7

Small broken stones that people use to make or fix roads

gilding metal
  • Specialized
1 8.2

A type of brass with more copper used for items that need a reddish gold look

1 5.5

Small thin pieces of metal that come off when you scrape metal

A period in the 1980s when loud rock bands had big hair and bright clothes

Wood's metal
  • Specialized
1 9.2

A soft mixture of metals that melts at a low temperature near 71 degrees Celsius

Babbitt metal
  • Specialized
1 9.6

A soft metal made from tin and small amounts of other metals used to line bearings to reduce friction

bell metal
  • Specialized
1 8.5

A hard metal made from copper and tin that is used to make bells

cheoplastic metal
  • Specialized
9.9

A low-melting metal used to make artificial teeth

Admiralty Metal
  • Specialized
8.9

A brass alloy with tin that resists corrosion in seawater

alkaline-earth metal
  • Specialized
7.2

A metal like calcium or magnesium that makes substances that are not acidic

metal spinning lathe
  • Specialized
8.3

A machine that turns a metal piece fast while a tool shapes it

monkey metal
  • Informal
9.2

A cheap metal mix used to make low-quality jewelry and toys

Monel metal
  • Specialized
7.9

A strong metal made from nickel and copper that does not rust easily in salt water

Monell metal
  • Specialized
9.0

A strong metal made from nickel and copper that resists corrosion and is used for machines and equipment

Muntz metal
  • Specialized
9.6

A strong metal made from copper and zinc used to make cast parts like boat fittings and bolts

fusible metal
  • Specialized
6.8

An alloy that melts at low heat used for soldering and in devices like sprinkler fuses

grid metal
  • Specialized
9.3

A hard metal made from lead and a little antimony that forms the grids inside storage batteries

shot metal
  • Specialized
9.5

A soft metal mixture mostly made of lead used to make small pellets for shotgun shells

How Conductive

superconductor
  • Specialized
10 6.4
metal
889 1.1
conductor
  • Specialized
14 3.9
semiconducting material
  • Specialized
1 4.7
insulator
  • Specialized
5 4.7

Surface Forms

metal singular
metals plural

Etymology

Metal comes from an old Greek word metallon meaning 'mine' or 'metal'. So metal names the hard, shiny materials people take from the ground, like iron, copper, and gold.