# metal

Pronunciation: say "MET-uhl" /ˈmɛ.təl/

## Noun

1. A hard, typically shiny, malleable material that conducts heat and electricity well, either a chemical element such as iron or copper or an alloy such as steel or bronze.
   - Simple: A hard, usually shiny material such as iron, gold, copper, or steel that heat and electricity pass through easily.
   - _Brass is a metal valued for both its appearance and its workability._
   - _The sculptor cast the figure in a durable metal._
2. A category of rock music spanning several genres (including thrash, death, and heavy metal) marked by powerful drumbeats and heavily distorted guitars.
   - Simple: A loud, heavy kind of rock music with strong drums and rough, distorted guitar sounds.
   - _The festival draws metal fans from across the country._
   - _She grew up on classic metal from the 1980s._
5. In astronomy, any chemical element other than hydrogen and helium, whatever its origin.
   - Simple: In astronomy, any chemical element heavier than hydrogen and helium.
   - _The earliest stars contained almost no metal, only hydrogen and helium._
   - _Each generation of stars enriches the galaxy with more metal._
6. Crushed rock, stone, or similar material used in making or surfacing a road.
   - Simple: Crushed rock or small stones used to build the surface of a road.
   - _The council ordered more metal to resurface the country lane._
   - _Crushed metal was rolled flat to form a solid roadbed._
9. The rails of a railway, taken together as the running surface for trains. *(UK)*
   - Simple: The steel rails that a train runs along.
   - _Signalmen kept the metals clear for the night express._
   - _Track workers walked the metals each morning, checking for loose bolts._

## Adjective

3. Marked by strong drumbeats and heavily distorted guitars, in the style of metal music.
   - Simple: Sounding like heavy rock music, with hard drums and rough, distorted guitar.
   - _The chorus has a distinctly metal edge._
   - _Their stage show is loud, fast, and unmistakably metal._
4. Showing the bold, brash, unyielding attitude associated with metal music.
   - Simple: Bold, fearless, and not afraid to be loud or direct.
   - _My grandmother went skydiving on her eightieth birthday, which is extremely metal._
   - _His blunt, fearless speech to the board was undeniably metal._

## Verb

7. To surface or build a road using crushed rock, stone, or similar material.
   - Simple: To build or cover a road with crushed rock and stones.
   - _The county plans to metal several rural roads this year._
   - _Workers metaled the old track to keep it from turning to mud._

## Noun

8. The basic substance something is made of; figuratively, a person's essential character or temper. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: What a person or thing is truly made of inside: their real character or strength.
10. A mine from which ores are extracted. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A pit or mine dug into the ground to take out ore.

## Other meanings

- (noun) The ore from which a usable metal is extracted.
- (noun) A light tincture used in heraldry, namely argent (silver or white) and or (gold).
- (noun) Molten glass that is ready to be blown or molded into objects.
- (noun) The airline that actually operates a flight, rather than any codeshare partners marketing seats on it.
- (noun) The combined firepower or caliber of the guns mounted on a warship.

## Origin

Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon, "mine, quarry, metal") was borrowed into Latin as metallum ("metal, mine, quarry, mineral"). That passed into Old French as metal, and Middle English borrowed it in the same form.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/metal (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).