I. ˈme-d ə l noun
Etymology: Middle French medaille, from Old Italian medaglia coin worth half a denarius, medal, from Vulgar Latin * medalis half, alteration of Late Latin medialis middle, from Latin medius — more at mid
Date: circa 1578
1. : a small usually metal object bearing a religious emblem or picture
2. : a piece of metal often resembling a coin and having a stamped design that is issued to commemorate a person or event or awarded for excellence or achievement
II. intransitive verb
( med·aled also med·alled ; med·al·ing also med·al·ling ˈmed-liŋ, ˈme-d ə l-iŋ)
Date: 1979
: to win a medal
medal ed in figure skating