metallic bond

6.5

Metal atoms share electrons so the metal conducts electricity, bends easily, and looks shiny

noun
/məˈtælɪk bɒnd/

Specialized

: enlace metálico

The unique properties of metals arise from the presence of metallic bonds that allow electrons to move freely.

Examples

So you can't convert a metal into a semiconductor by doping, as 'semiconductor' is an intrinsic property of certain elements, and metallic bonds work differently.

Blog text (1)
In metallic bonds, the electrons are not tied to any specific atom, enabling conductivity within the metal.
Understanding metallic bonds is essential for explaining why metals conduct electricity so well.

Surface Forms

metallic bond singular

metallic bonds plural

Morphology

metallic + bond

The phrase is compositionally built from 'metallic' (relating to metal) + 'bond' (an attraction/connection between atoms), so a learner who knows both words will infer it denotes a type of bond involving metals. While the detailed mechanism (electrons/shared lattice, conductivity) is technical, the core meaning 'a bond in/of metals' is directly derivable and cross-linguistically parallel, making it transparent.

Etymology

Metallic bond comes from the idea of metallic atoms joined by a bond that lets them share tiny parts called 'electrons'. One easy picture is atoms like people standing close and passing a ball; because the 'electrons' move through the group, electricity can flow and metals stay shiny and can be bent without breaking.