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metallic

metallic

3 6.5
A cloth or yarn that contains thin shiny threads of hard, bright material for dressy clothes
  • noun
  • /məˈtælɪk/
translation icon : tejido metálico
  • The walls shone, papered in an expensive mottled metallic, and the pillows gleamed a rich ebony, like the same kind of heavy silk their stage shirts had been made of.
  • silver metallic

Examples

  • They whipped around the asphalt lot like skaters, linked by their hands, tracking victims, the air metallic with the smell of ozone.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • For the fashion show, she chose a stunning dress made of metallic fabric that caught the light beautifully.

  • So the next style we did in two colorways in a limited edition metallic fabric.

  • Among the innovations are the key colors Brilliant Copper Metallic and Blazing Red Metallic.

    Blog text (3)
  • I don't remember what color the wagon was originally, but the body shop painted it some shade of medium blue metallic.

    Blog text (26)
  • It was the plain-jane Crown Vic, in steel blue metallic, neither light nor dark.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • I wasn't sure where I should put it, but then I saw the old bronze plate and thought some metallic in this area would be a nice change.

    Blog text (15)
  • Maybe you just want a hint of well-placed metallic instead of the all-over flash of some of these other bags.

    Blog text (1)
  • Florals, embossed, metallic... if you enjoy leather, they've got stuff to make you melt.

    Blog text (25)
  • The fabric is Gilt Trip - Buds in Metallic by Dear Stella, and it came from The Village Haberdashery.

    Blog text (8)

Synonyms

wire cloth
vsmetallic
  • Specialized
1 7.0

A woven metal mesh used for filters or screens

is used for decoration and special occasion clothing rather than industrial use

Compounds

metallic element
  • Specialized
1 4.2

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

Shiny in a way that makes something look like metal

metallic bond
  • Specialized
6.5

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

A shiny color like metal, for example silver or gold

How Metallic

metallic
3 6.5
lame
9.1

Surface Forms

metallic singular
metallics plural

Morphology

metallic = metallic (semi-transparent) = metal + ic

The noun is a converted use of the adjective 'metallic'; the link to 'metal' is clear, but the fabric/yarn sense is a specialized nominal use.

Etymology

Metallic as a noun comes from the same root metal and was used for cloth or thread that had real metal or a metal shine. So when people say a dress or fabric is metallic, they mean it contains metal or has a shiny, metal-like surface.