metal

noun

Any of a number of chemical elements in the periodic table that form a metallic bond with other metal atoms; generally shiny, somewhat malleable and hard, often a conductor of heat and electricity.

Any material with similar physical properties as those chemical elements, especially as a combination of several of them, such as an alloy.

(heading) Chemical elements or alloys, their ores, and the mines where their ores come from.

(music) A category of rock music encompassing a number of genres (including thrash metal, death metal, heavy metal, etc.) characterized by strong drumbeats and distorted guitars.

Crushed rock, stones etc. used to make a road.

(mining) The ore from which a metal is derived.

(astronomy) An element which was not directly created after the Big Bang but instead formed through nuclear reactions; any element other than hydrogen and helium.

(heraldry) A light tincture used in a coat of arms, specifically argent (white or silver) and or (gold).

(UK, in the plural) The rails of a railway.

(informal, travel, aviation) The actual airline operating a flight, rather than any of the codeshare operators.

(glassblowing) Molten glass that is to be blown or moulded to form objects.

The effective power or calibre of guns carried by a vessel of war.

(obsolete) A mine from which ores are taken.

(figurative, archaic) The substance that constitutes something or someone; matter; hence, character or temper.

verb

To make a road using crushed rock, stones etc.

adjective

(music) Characterized by strong drum-beats and distorted guitars.

Having the emotional or social characteristics associated with metal music; brash, bold, frank, unyielding, etc.

Roots

metallonmetal- · Greek · metal, mine

Synonyms for metal

metallicadj metalline aluminumn metalworkn coppern metalloidadj ironn titaniumn metalwaren zincn

Synonyms & related words for metal

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of metal — including metallic, metalline, aluminum, metalwork, copper, metalloid. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to metal

Explore words related to metal — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include metalize, alloy, trimetallic, monometallic, metallist, nonferrous, aluminothermy, bimetallic. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for metal

Common synonyms for metal include metallic, metalline, aluminum, metalwork, copper, metalloid, iron, titanium — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does metal come from?

The word metal breaks down into one root of Greek origin: the root metal-, from Greek metallon (“metal, mine”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.