metal
Other forms: metals; metalled; metalling; metaled; metaling; metally
Metal is a shiny, hard, solid material, such as iron or aluminum. If, when you smile, you flash a brilliant metal grin, it's probably because of your braces.
The Greek root metallon originally meant quarry or mine, and later came to also mean metal. Silver jewelry is made of metal, and so are things like car engines and tin cans. The genre of rock music popularly known as metal gets its name from the heavy sound, especially of the guitar solo, played on electric guitars — made of metal.
Definitions of metal
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any of several chemical elements that are usually shiny solids that conduct heat or electricity and can be formed into sheets etc.synonyms: metallic elementtypes:heavy metala metal of relatively high density (specific gravity greater than about 5) or of high relative atomic weight (especially one that is poisonous like mercury or lead)base metala metal that is common and not considered preciousnoble metalany metal that is resistant to corrosion or oxidationAl, aluminium, aluminum, atomic number 13a silvery, flexible, lightweight, metallic element found primarily in bauxiteAm, americium, atomic number 95a radioactive transuranic metallic element; discovered by bombarding uranium with helium atomsSb, antimony, atomic number 51a metallic element having four allotropic forms; used in a wide variety of alloys; found in stibniteBa, atomic number 56, bariuma soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group; found in bariteBk, atomic number 97, berkeliuma radioactive transuranic element; discovered by bombarding americium with heliumBe, atomic number 4, beryllium, gluciniuma light strong brittle grey toxic bivalent metallic elementBi, atomic number 83, bismutha heavy brittle diamagnetic trivalent metallic element (resembles arsenic and antimony chemically); usually recovered as a by-product from ores of other metalsCd, atomic number 48, cadmiuma soft bluish-white ductile malleable toxic bivalent metallic element; occurs in association with zinc oresCa, atomic number 20, calciuma white metallic element that burns with a brilliant light; the fifth most abundant element in the earth's crust; an important component of most plants and animalsCf, atomic number 98, californiuma radioactive transuranic element; discovered by bombarding curium with alpha particlesCe, atomic number 58, ceriuma ductile grey metallic element of the lanthanide series; used in lighter flints; the most abundant of the rare-earth groupCs, atomic number 55, caesium, cesiuma soft silver-white ductile metallic element (liquid at normal temperatures); the most electropositive and alkaline metalCr, atomic number 24, chromiuma hard brittle multivalent metallic element; resistant to corrosion and tarnishingCo, atomic number 27, cobalta hard ferromagnetic silver-white bivalent or trivalent metallic element; a trace element in plant and animal nutritionCu, atomic number 29, coppera ductile malleable reddish-brown corrosion-resistant diamagnetic metallic element; occurs in various minerals but is the only metal that occurs abundantly in large masses; used as an electrical and thermal conductorCm, atomic number 96, curiuma radioactive transuranic metallic element; produced by bombarding plutonium with helium nucleiDy, atomic number 66, dysprosiuma trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; forms compounds that are highly magneticE, Es, atomic number 99, einsteiniuma radioactive transuranic element produced by bombarding plutonium with neutronsEr, atomic number 68, erbiuma trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs with yttriumFm, atomic number 100, fermiuma radioactive transuranic metallic element produced by bombarding plutonium with neutronsFr, atomic number 87, franciuma radioactive element of the alkali-metal group discovered as a disintegration product of actiniumGd, atomic number 64, gadoliniuma ductile silvery-white ductile ferromagnetic trivalent metallic element of the rare earth groupGa, atomic number 31, galliuma rare silvery (usually trivalent) metallic element; brittle at low temperatures but liquid above room temperature; occurs in trace amounts in bauxite and zinc oresHf, atomic number 72, hafniuma grey tetravalent metallic element that resembles zirconium chemically and is found in zirconium minerals; used in filaments for its ready emission of electronsHo, atomic number 67, holmiuma trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs together with yttrium; forms highly magnetic compoundsIn, atomic number 49, indiuma rare soft silvery metallic element; occurs in small quantities in sphaleriteIr, atomic number 77, iridiuma heavy brittle metallic element of the platinum group; used in alloys; occurs in natural alloys with platinum or osmiumFe, atomic number 26, irona heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the bloodLa, atomic number 57, lanthanuma white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earthPb, atomic number 82, leada soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element; bluish white when freshly cut but tarnishes readily to dull greyLi, atomic number 3, lithiuma soft silver-white univalent element of the alkali metal group; the lightest metal known; occurs in several mineralsLu, atomic number 71, lutecium, lutetiuma trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; usually occurs in association with yttriumMg, atomic number 12, magnesiuma light, malleable, bivalent, silver-white metallic element that burns with brilliant white flame when pure; occurs naturally only in combination with other elementsMn, atomic number 25, manganesea hard brittle grey polyvalent metallic element that resembles iron but is not magnetic; used in making steel; occurs in many mineralsHg, atomic number 80, hydrargyrum, mercury, quicksilvera heavy silvery toxic univalent and bivalent metallic element; the only metal that is liquid at ordinary temperaturesMo, atomic number 42, molybdenuma polyvalent metallic element that resembles chromium and tungsten in its properties; used to strengthen and harden steelNd, atomic number 60, neodymiuma yellow trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs in monazite and bastnasite in association with cerium and lanthanum and praseodymiumNp, atomic number 93, neptuniuma radioactive transuranic metallic element; found in trace amounts in uranium ores; a by-product of the production of plutoniumNi, atomic number 28, nickela hard malleable ductile silvery metallic element that is resistant to corrosion; used in alloys; occurs in pentlandite and smaltite and garnierite and milleriteNb, atomic number 41, niobiuma soft grey ductile metallic element used in alloys; occurs in niobite; formerly called columbiumOs, atomic number 76, osmiuma hard brittle blue-grey or blue-black metallic element that is one of the platinum metals; the heaviest metal knownPd, atomic number 46, palladiuma silver-white metallic element of the platinum group that resembles platinum; occurs in some copper and nickel ores; does not tarnish at ordinary temperatures and is used (alloyed with gold) in jewelryPo, atomic number 84, poloniuma radioactive metallic element that is similar to tellurium and bismuth; occurs in uranium ores but can be produced by bombarding bismuth with neutrons in a nuclear reactorK, atomic number 19, potassiuma light soft silver-white metallic element of the alkali metal group; oxidizes rapidly in air and reacts violently with water; is abundant in nature in combined forms occurring in sea water and in carnallite and kainite and sylvitePr, atomic number 59, praseodymiuma soft yellowish-white trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; can be recovered from bastnasite or monazite by an ion-exchange processPm, atomic number 61, promethiuma soft silvery metallic element of the rare earth group having no stable isotope; was discovered in radioactive form as a fission product of uraniumPa, atomic number 91, protactinium, protoactiniuma short-lived radioactive metallic element formed from uranium and disintegrating into actinium and then into leadRa, atomic number 88, radiuman intensely radioactive metallic element that occurs in minute amounts in uranium oresRe, atomic number 75, rheniuma rare heavy polyvalent metallic element that resembles manganese chemically and is used in some alloys; is obtained as a by-product in refining molybdenumRh, atomic number 45, rhodiuma white hard metallic element that is one of the platinum group and is found in platinum ores; used in alloys with platinumRb, atomic number 37, rubidiuma soft silvery metallic element of the alkali metal group; burns in air and reacts violently in water; occurs in carnallite and lepidolite and polluciteRu, atomic number 44, rutheniuma rare polyvalent metallic element of the platinum group; it is found associated with platinumSm, atomic number 62, samariuma grey lustrous metallic element of the rare earth group; is used in special alloys; occurs in monazite and bastnasiteSc, atomic number 21, scandiuma white trivalent metallic element; sometimes classified in the rare earth group; occurs in the Scandinavian mineral thortveititeNa, atomic number 11, sodiuma silvery soft waxy metallic element of the alkali metal group; occurs abundantly in natural compounds (especially in salt water); burns with a yellow flame and reacts violently in water; occurs in sea water and in the mineral halite (rock salt)Sr, atomic number 38, strontiuma soft silver-white or yellowish metallic element of the alkali metal group; turns yellow in air; occurs in celestite and strontianiteTa, atomic number 73, tantaluma hard grey lustrous metallic element that is highly resistant to corrosion; occurs in niobite and fergusonite and tantaliteTc, atomic number 43, technetiuma crystalline metallic element not found in nature; occurs as one of the fission products of uraniumTb, atomic number 65, terbiuma metallic element of the rare earth group; used in lasers; occurs in apatite and monazite and xenotime and ytterbiteTl, atomic number 81, thalliuma soft grey malleable metallic element that resembles tin but discolors on exposure to air; it is highly toxic and is used in rodent and insect poisons; occurs in zinc blende and some iron oresTh, atomic number 90, thoriuma soft silvery-white tetravalent radioactive metallic element; isotope 232 is used as a power source in nuclear reactors; occurs in thorite and in monazite sandsTm, atomic number 69, thuliuma soft silvery metallic element of the rare earth group; isotope 170 emits X-rays and is used in small portable X-ray machines; it occurs in monazite and apatite and xenotimeSn, atomic number 50, tina silvery malleable metallic element that resists corrosion; used in many alloys and to coat other metals to prevent corrosion; obtained chiefly from cassiterite where it occurs as tin oxideTi, atomic number 22, titaniuma light strong grey lustrous corrosion-resistant metallic element used in strong lightweight alloys (as for airplane parts); the main sources are rutile and ilmeniteW, atomic number 74, tungsten, wolframa heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheeliteU, atomic number 92, uraniuma heavy, silvery-white, highly radioactive metallic element used for nuclear fuel and weaponsV, atomic number 23, vanadiuma soft silvery white toxic metallic element used in steel alloys; it occurs in several complex minerals including carnotite and vanadiniteYb, atomic number 70, ytterbiuma soft silvery metallic element; a rare earth of the lanthanide series; it occurs in gadolinite and monazite and xenotimeY, atomic number 39, yttriuma silvery metallic element that is common in rare-earth minerals; used in magnesium and aluminum alloysZn, atomic number 30, zinca bluish-white lustrous metallic element; brittle at ordinary temperatures but malleable when heated; used in a wide variety of alloys and in galvanizing iron; it occurs naturally as zinc sulphide in zinc blendeZr, atomic number 40, zirconiuma lustrous grey strong metallic element resembling titanium; it is used in nuclear reactors as a neutron absorber; it occurs in baddeleyite but is obtained chiefly from zirconalkali metal, alkaline metalany of the monovalent metals of group I of the periodic table (lithium or sodium or potassium or rubidium or cesium or francium)alkaline earth, alkaline-earth metalany of the bivalent metals of group II of the periodic table (calcium or strontium or barium or magnesium or beryllium)alum, potash alum, potassium aluma white crystalline double sulfate of aluminum: the potassium double sulfate of aluminumalum, ammonia alum, ammonium aluma white crystalline double sulfate of aluminum: the ammonium double sulfate of aluminumbarytaany of several compounds of bariumcesium 137a radioactive isotope of cesium used in radiation therapycobalt 60a radioactive isotope of cobalt with mass number 60; a source of exceptionally intense gamma rays; used in radiation therapyAu, atomic number 79, golda soft yellow malleable ductile (trivalent and univalent) metallic element; occurs mainly as nuggets in rocks and alluvial deposits; does not react with most chemicals but is attacked by chlorine and aqua regiacolumbiuma former name for niobiumPt, atomic number 78, platinuma heavy precious metallic element; grey-white and resistant to corroding; occurs in some nickel and copper ores and is also found native in some depositsAg, atomic number 47, silvera soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photographystrontium 90a radioactive isotope of strontium (with the mass number 90) that is present in the fallout from nuclear explosions; can be assimilated like calcium into bonesuranium 235a uranium isotope with mass number 235; capable of sustaining chain reactionsuranium 238the commonest isotope of uranium; it is not fissionable but when irradiated with neutrons it produces fissionable plutonium 239alpha irona magnetic allotrope of iron; stable below 906 degrees centigradebeta ironan allotrope of iron that is the same as alpha iron except that it is nonmagnetic; stable between 768 and 906 degrees centigradegamma irona nonmagnetic allotrope of iron that is the basis of austenite; stable between 906 and 1403 degrees centigradedelta ironan allotrope of iron that is stable between 1403 degrees centigrade and the melting point (= 1532 degrees)blister copperan impure form of copper having a black blistered surfaceingot ironiron of high puritycast ironan alloy of iron containing so much carbon that it is brittle and so cannot be wrought but must be shaped by castingwrought ironiron having a low carbon content that is tough and malleable and so can be forged and weldedchromeanother word for chromium when it is used in dyes or pigmentsgalvanized ironiron that is coated with zinc to protect it from rusthard leadunrefined lead that is hard because of the impurities it containspig ironcrude iron tapped from a blast furnacepig leadlead that is cast in pigsscrap ironiron to be melted again and reworkedspelterimpure zinc containing about three percent lead and other impurities (especially in the form of ingots)structural ironiron that has been cast or worked in structural shapestype of:chemical element, elementany of the more than 100 known substances (of which 92 occur naturally) that cannot be separated into simpler substances and that singly or in combination constitute all matter
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a mixture containing two or more metallic elements or metallic and nonmetallic elements usually fused together or dissolving into each other when moltensynonyms: alloytypes:heavy metala metal of relatively high density (specific gravity greater than about 5) or of high relative atomic weight (especially one that is poisonous like mercury or lead)18-karat goldan alloy that contains 75 per cent gold22-karat goldan alloy that contains 87 per cent goldAlnicotrade name for an alloy used to make high-energy permanent magnets; contains aluminum and iron and nickel plus cobalt or copper or titaniumamalgam, dental amalgaman alloy of mercury with another metal (usually silver) used by dentists to fill cavities in teeth; except for iron and platinum all metals dissolve in mercury and chemists refer to the resulting mercury mixtures as amalgamsfusible metalan alloy with a low melting point and used as solder and in safety plugs and sprinkler fuseselectruman alloy of gold and silverpewterany of various alloys of tin with small amounts of other metals (especially lead)pinchbeckan alloy of copper and zinc that is used in cheap jewelry to imitate goldpot metalan alloy of copper and lead used especially for making large potssolderan alloy (usually of lead and tin) used when melted to join two metal surfaceswhite golda pale alloy of gold usually with platinum or nickel or palladiumtype metalan alloy of tin and lead and antimony used to make printing typeBabbitt metal, babbittan alloy of tin with some copper and antimony; a lining for bearings that reduces frictionBritannia metalan alloy similar to pewterCarboloyan alloy based on tungsten with cobalt or nickel as a binder; used in making metal-cutting toolssteelan alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide rangecheoplastic metalany alloy that fuses at low temperatures and can be used molding artificial teethcopper-base alloyany alloy whose principal component is copperdental goldan alloy of gold used in dentistryDuraluminan aluminum-based alloyInconela nickel-base alloy with chromium and iron; used in gas-turbine bladesInvaran alloy of iron and nickel having a low coefficient of thermal expansion; used in tuning forks and measuring tapes and other instrumentspyrophoric alloyan alloy that emits sparks when struck or scratched with steel; used in lighter flintsshot metalan alloy that is 98% lead and 2% arsenic; used in making small shotStellitea very hard alloy of cobalt and chromium with cobalt as the principal ingredient; used to make cutting tools and for surfaces subject to heavy wearsterling silvera silver alloy with no more than 7.5% coppertambac, tombac, tombakan alloy of copper and zinc (and sometimes arsenic) used to imitate gold in cheap jewelry and for gildingWood's alloy, Wood's metala fusible alloy that is half bismuth plus lead, tin, and cadmium; melts at about 160 degrees Fahrenheitalloy steelsteel who characteristics are determined by the addition of other elements in addition to carbonbrassan alloy of copper and zincbronzean alloy of copper and tin and sometimes other elements; also any copper-base alloy containing other elements in place of tincupronickela 60/40 alloy of copper and nickelhard soldersolder that contains copper; melts at a relatively high temperature; used for brazingsilver soldera solder that contains silversoft soldersolder that melts at a relatively low temperatureMonel metal, Monell metalan alloy of nickel and copper and other metals (such as iron and/or manganese and/or aluminum)aluminium bronze, aluminum bronzean alloy of copper and aluminum with high tensile strength and resistance to corrosionaustenitic steelsteel that has enough nickel and chromium or manganese to retain austenite at atmospheric temperaturescase-hardened steelsteel with a surface that is much harder than the interior metalcarbon steelsteel whose characteristics are determined by the amount of carbon it containscrucible steelsteel made by the mixture of molten wrought iron, charcoal, and other substances in a cruciblechisel steelsteel used in making chiselsEureka, constantanan alloy of copper and nickel with high electrical resistance and a low temperature coefficient; used as resistance wireferroceriuma pyrophoric alloy of iron with cerium; used for lighter flintshard steelsteel with more than 0.3% carbonmedium steelsteel with 0.15-0.3% carbonmisch metala pyrophoric alloy made from a mixture of rare-earth metalsNichromean alloy of nickel and chromium with high electrical resistance and an ability to withstand high temperatures; used for resistance heating elementsPermalloyan 80/20 alloy of nickel and iron; easily magnetized and demagnetizedquenched steelsteel that has been hardened by immersing it in water or oil to cool itstructural steela strong steel that is rolled into shapes that are used in constructiontype of:mixture(chemistry) a substance consisting of two or more substances mixed together (not in fixed proportions and not with chemical bonding)
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containing or made of or resembling or characteristic of a metalsynonyms: metallicall-metalconsisting completely of metalaluminiferouscontaining alum or aluminumantimonialcontaining antimonyargentiferouscontaining or yielding silverbronzemade from or consisting of bronzesilvermade from or largely consisting of silvertinnythin and metallic in sound; lacking resonance
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cover with metal
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