n., adj., & v.
n. 1 a any of a class of chemical elements such as gold, silver, iron, and tin, usu. lustrous ductile solids and good conductors of heat and electricity and forming basic oxides. b an alloy of any of these. 2 material used for making glass, in a molten state. 3 Heraldry gold or silver as tincture. 4 (in pl.) the rails of a railway line. 5 = road-metal (see ROAD(1)).
adj. made of metal.
v.tr. (metalled, metalling; US metaled, metaling) 1 provide or fit with metal. 2 Brit. make or mend (a road) with road-metal. metal detector an electronic device giving a signal when it locates metal. metal fatigue fatigue (see FATIGUE n. 2) in metal.
[ ME f. OF metal or L metallum f. Gk metallon mine ]