metal | | |
n. (substance) | 1. metal, metallic element | any of several chemical elements that are usually shiny solids that conduct heat or electricity and can be formed into sheets etc.. |
| ~ heavy metal | a 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 metal | a metal that is common and not considered precious.; "lead, iron, copper, tin, and zinc are base metals" |
| ~ chemical element, element | any 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. |
| ~ noble metal | any metal that is resistant to corrosion or oxidation. |
| ~ al, aluminium, aluminum, atomic number 13 | a silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite. |
| ~ am, americium, atomic number 95 | a radioactive transuranic metallic element; discovered by bombarding uranium with helium atoms. |
| ~ antimony, atomic number 51, sb | a metallic element having four allotropic forms; used in a wide variety of alloys; found in stibnite. |
| ~ atomic number 56, ba, barium | a soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group; found in barite. |
| ~ atomic number 97, berkelium, bk | a radioactive transuranic element; discovered by bombarding americium with helium. |
| ~ atomic number 4, be, beryllium, glucinium | a light strong brittle grey toxic bivalent metallic element. |
| ~ atomic number 83, bi, bismuth | a heavy brittle diamagnetic trivalent metallic element (resembles arsenic and antimony chemically); usually recovered as a by-product from ores of other metals. |
| ~ atomic number 48, cadmium, cd | a soft bluish-white ductile malleable toxic bivalent metallic element; occurs in association with zinc ores. |
| ~ atomic number 20, ca, calcium | a 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 animals. |
| ~ atomic number 98, californium, cf | a radioactive transuranic element; discovered by bombarding curium with alpha particles. |
| ~ atomic number 58, ce, cerium | a ductile grey metallic element of the lanthanide series; used in lighter flints; the most abundant of the rare-earth group. |
| ~ atomic number 55, caesium, cesium, cs | a soft silver-white ductile metallic element (liquid at normal temperatures); the most electropositive and alkaline metal. |
| ~ atomic number 24, chromium, cr | a hard brittle multivalent metallic element; resistant to corrosion and tarnishing. |
| ~ atomic number 27, cobalt, co | a hard ferromagnetic silver-white bivalent or trivalent metallic element; a trace element in plant and animal nutrition. |
| ~ atomic number 29, copper, cu | a 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 conductor. |
| ~ atomic number 96, curium, cm | a radioactive transuranic metallic element; produced by bombarding plutonium with helium nuclei. |
| ~ atomic number 66, dy, dysprosium | a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; forms compounds that are highly magnetic. |
| ~ atomic number 99, einsteinium, es, e | a radioactive transuranic element produced by bombarding plutonium with neutrons. |
| ~ atomic number 68, er, erbium | a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs with yttrium. |
| ~ atomic number 63, eu, europium | a bivalent and trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group. |
| ~ atomic number 100, fermium, fm | a radioactive transuranic metallic element produced by bombarding plutonium with neutrons. |
| ~ atomic number 87, fr, francium | a radioactive element of the alkali-metal group discovered as a disintegration product of actinium. |
| ~ atomic number 64, gadolinium, gd | a ductile silvery-white ductile ferromagnetic trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group. |
| ~ atomic number 31, gallium, ga | a rare silvery (usually trivalent) metallic element; brittle at low temperatures but liquid above room temperature; occurs in trace amounts in bauxite and zinc ores. |
| ~ atomic number 72, hafnium, hf | a grey tetravalent metallic element that resembles zirconium chemically and is found in zirconium minerals; used in filaments for its ready emission of electrons. |
| ~ atomic number 67, ho, holmium | a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs together with yttrium; forms highly magnetic compounds. |
| ~ atomic number 49, indium, in | a rare soft silvery metallic element; occurs in small quantities in sphalerite. |
| ~ atomic number 77, ir, iridium | a heavy brittle metallic element of the platinum group; used in alloys; occurs in natural alloys with platinum or osmium. |
| ~ atomic number 26, fe, iron | a 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 blood. |
| ~ atomic number 57, la, lanthanum | a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth. |
| ~ atomic number 82, pb, lead | a soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element; bluish white when freshly cut but tarnishes readily to dull grey.; "the children were playing with lead soldiers" |
| ~ atomic number 3, li, lithium | a soft silver-white univalent element of the alkali metal group; the lightest metal known; occurs in several minerals. |
| ~ atomic number 71, lu, lutecium, lutetium | a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; usually occurs in association with yttrium. |
| ~ atomic number 12, magnesium, mg | a light silver-white ductile bivalent metallic element; in pure form it burns with brilliant white flame; occurs naturally only in combination (as in magnesite and dolomite and carnallite and spinel and olivine). |
| ~ atomic number 25, manganese, mn | a hard brittle grey polyvalent metallic element that resembles iron but is not magnetic; used in making steel; occurs in many minerals. |
| ~ atomic number 80, hg, hydrargyrum, mercury, quicksilver | a heavy silvery toxic univalent and bivalent metallic element; the only metal that is liquid at ordinary temperatures. |
| ~ atomic number 42, molybdenum, mo | a polyvalent metallic element that resembles chromium and tungsten in its properties; used to strengthen and harden steel. |
| ~ atomic number 60, nd, neodymium | a yellow trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs in monazite and bastnasite in association with cerium and lanthanum and praseodymium. |
| ~ atomic number 93, neptunium, np | a radioactive transuranic metallic element; found in trace amounts in uranium ores; a by-product of the production of plutonium. |
| ~ atomic number 28, ni, nickel | a hard malleable ductile silvery metallic element that is resistant to corrosion; used in alloys; occurs in pentlandite and smaltite and garnierite and millerite. |
| ~ atomic number 41, nb, niobium | a soft grey ductile metallic element used in alloys; occurs in niobite; formerly called columbium. |
| ~ atomic number 76, osmium, os | a hard brittle blue-grey or blue-black metallic element that is one of the platinum metals; the heaviest metal known. |
| ~ atomic number 46, palladium, pd | a 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 jewelry. |
| ~ atomic number 84, po, polonium | a 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 reactor. |
| ~ atomic number 19, potassium, k | a 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 sylvite. |
| ~ atomic number 59, pr, praseodymium | a soft yellowish-white trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; can be recovered from bastnasite or monazite by an ion-exchange process. |
| ~ atomic number 61, promethium, pm | a soft silvery metallic element of the rare earth group having no stable isotope; was discovered in radioactive form as a fission product of uranium. |
| ~ atomic number 91, protactinium, protoactinium, pa | a short-lived radioactive metallic element formed from uranium and disintegrating into actinium and then into lead. |
| ~ atomic number 88, ra, radium | an intensely radioactive metallic element that occurs in minute amounts in uranium ores. |
| ~ atomic number 75, re, rhenium | a rare heavy polyvalent metallic element that resembles manganese chemically and is used in some alloys; is obtained as a by-product in refining molybdenum. |
| ~ atomic number 45, rhodium, rh | a white hard metallic element that is one of the platinum group and is found in platinum ores; used in alloys with platinum. |
| ~ atomic number 37, rb, rubidium | a soft silvery metallic element of the alkali metal group; burns in air and reacts violently in water; occurs in carnallite and lepidolite and pollucite. |
| ~ atomic number 44, ru, ruthenium | a rare polyvalent metallic element of the platinum group; it is found associated with platinum. |
| ~ atomic number 62, samarium, sm | a grey lustrous metallic element of the rare earth group; is used in special alloys; occurs in monazite and bastnasite. |
| ~ atomic number 21, sc, scandium | a white trivalent metallic element; sometimes classified in the rare earth group; occurs in the Scandinavian mineral thortveitite. |
| ~ atomic number 11, na, sodium | a 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). |
| ~ atomic number 38, sr, strontium | a soft silver-white or yellowish metallic element of the alkali metal group; turns yellow in air; occurs in celestite and strontianite. |
| ~ atomic number 73, ta, tantalum | a hard grey lustrous metallic element that is highly resistant to corrosion; occurs in niobite and fergusonite and tantalite. |
| ~ atomic number 43, tc, technetium | a crystalline metallic element not found in nature; occurs as one of the fission products of uranium. |
| ~ atomic number 65, tb, terbium | a metallic element of the rare earth group; used in lasers; occurs in apatite and monazite and xenotime and ytterbite. |
| ~ atomic number 81, thallium, tl | a 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 ores. |
| ~ atomic number 90, thorium, th | a soft silvery-white tetravalent radioactive metallic element; isotope 232 is used as a power source in nuclear reactors; occurs in thorite and in monazite sands. |
| ~ atomic number 69, thulium, tm | a 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 xenotime. |
| ~ atomic number 50, sn, tin | a 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 oxide. |
| ~ atomic number 22, ti, titanium | a light strong grey lustrous corrosion-resistant metallic element used in strong lightweight alloys (as for airplane parts); the main sources are rutile and ilmenite. |
| ~ atomic number 74, tungsten, w, wolfram | a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite. |
| ~ atomic number 92, uranium, u | a heavy toxic silvery-white radioactive metallic element; occurs in many isotopes; used for nuclear fuels and nuclear weapons. |
| ~ atomic number 23, vanadium, v | a soft silvery white toxic metallic element used in steel alloys; it occurs in several complex minerals including carnotite and vanadinite. |
| ~ atomic number 70, yb, ytterbium | a soft silvery metallic element; a rare earth of the lanthanide series; it occurs in gadolinite and monazite and xenotime. |
| ~ atomic number 39, y, yttrium | a silvery metallic element that is common in rare-earth minerals; used in magnesium and aluminum alloys. |
| ~ atomic number 30, zinc, zn | a 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 blende. |
| ~ atomic number 40, zirconium, zr | a 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 zircon. |
| ~ alkali metal, alkaline metal | any of the monovalent metals of group I of the periodic table (lithium or sodium or potassium or rubidium or cesium or francium).; "the hydroxides of the alkali metals are strongly alkaline" |
| ~ alkaline-earth metal, alkaline earth | any of the bivalent metals of group II of the periodic table (calcium or strontium or barium or magnesium or beryllium). |
n. (substance) | 2. alloy, metal | a mixture containing two or more metallic elements or metallic and nonmetallic elements usually fused together or dissolving into each other when molten.; "brass is an alloy of zinc and copper" |
| ~ mixture | (chemistry) a substance consisting of two or more substances mixed together (not in fixed proportions and not with chemical bonding). |
| ~ heavy metal | a 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 gold | an alloy that contains 75 per cent gold. |
| ~ 22-karat gold | an alloy that contains 87 per cent gold. |
| ~ oreide, oroide | alloy of copper and tin and zinc; used in imitation gold jewelry. |
| ~ alnico | trade name for an alloy used to make high-energy permanent magnets; contains aluminum and iron and nickel plus cobalt or copper or titanium. |
| ~ amalgam, dental amalgam | an 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 amalgams. |
| ~ fusible metal | an alloy with a low melting point and used as solder and in safety plugs and sprinkler fuses. |
| ~ electrum | an alloy of gold and silver. |
| ~ pewter | any of various alloys of tin with small amounts of other metals (especially lead). |
| ~ pinchbeck | an alloy of copper and zinc that is used in cheap jewelry to imitate gold. |
| ~ pot metal | an alloy of copper and lead used especially for making large pots. |
| ~ solder | an alloy (usually of lead and tin) used when melted to join two metal surfaces. |
| ~ white gold | a pale alloy of gold usually with platinum or nickel or palladium. |
| ~ type metal | an alloy of tin and lead and antimony used to make printing type. |
| ~ bearing metal, white metal | an alloy (often of lead or tin base) used for bearings. |
| ~ babbitt, babbitt metal | an alloy of tin with some copper and antimony; a lining for bearings that reduces friction. |
| ~ britannia metal | an alloy similar to pewter. |
| ~ carboloy | an alloy based on tungsten with cobalt or nickel as a binder; used in making metal-cutting tools. |
| ~ steel | an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range. |
| ~ cheoplastic metal | any alloy that fuses at low temperatures and can be used molding artificial teeth. |
| ~ copper-base alloy | any alloy whose principal component is copper. |
| ~ dental gold | an alloy of gold used in dentistry. |
| ~ duralumin | an aluminum-based alloy. |
| ~ inconel | a nickel-base alloy with chromium and iron; used in gas-turbine blades. |
| ~ invar | an alloy of iron and nickel having a low coefficient of thermal expansion; used in tuning forks and measuring tapes and other instruments. |
| ~ nickel-base alloy, nickel alloy | an alloy whose main constituent is nickel. |
| ~ german silver, nickel silver | a silver-white alloy containing copper and zinc and nickel. |
| ~ pyrophoric alloy | an alloy that emits sparks when struck or scratched with steel; used in lighter flints. |
| ~ shot metal | an alloy that is 98% lead and 2% arsenic; used in making small shot. |
| ~ primary solid solution, solid solution | a homogeneous solid that can exist over a range of component chemicals; a constituent of alloys that is formed when atoms of an element are incorporated into the crystals of a metal. |
| ~ stellite | a very hard alloy of cobalt and chromium with cobalt as the principal ingredient; used to make cutting tools and for surfaces subject to heavy wear. |
| ~ sterling silver | a silver alloy with no more than 7.5% copper. |
| ~ tambac, tombac, tombak | an alloy of copper and zinc (and sometimes arsenic) used to imitate gold in cheap jewelry and for gilding. |
| ~ wood's alloy, wood's metal | a fusible alloy that is half bismuth plus lead, tin, and cadmium; melts at about 160 degrees Fahrenheit. |
v. (contact) | 3. metal | cover with metal. |
| ~ coat, surface | put a coat on; cover the surface of; furnish with a surface.; "coat the cake with chocolate" |
adj. | 4. metal, metallic | containing or made of or resembling or characteristic of a metal.; "a metallic compound"; "metallic luster"; "the strange metallic note of the meadow lark, suggesting the clash of vibrant blades" |
| ~ all-metal | consisting completely of metal.; "all-metal airplanes" |
| ~ aluminiferous | containing alum or aluminum. |
| ~ antimonial | containing antimony.; "antimonial lead" |
| ~ argentiferous | containing or yielding silver.; "argentiferous ore" |
| ~ auriferous, gold-bearing | containing gold.; "auriferous quartz veins" |
| ~ bimetal, bimetallic | formed of two different metals or alloys; especially in sheets bonded together. |
| ~ bronze | made from or consisting of bronze. |
| ~ gold, golden, gilded | made from or covered with gold.; "gold coins"; "the gold dome of the Capitol"; "the golden calf"; "gilded icons" |
| ~ metal-looking, metallic-looking, metallike | resembling metal. |
| ~ silver | made from or largely consisting of silver.; "silver bracelets" |
| ~ tinny | thin and metallic in sound; lacking resonance.; "an unpleasant tinny voice" |
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