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.
Phrases and idioms:
metal detector an electronic device giving a signal when it locates metal. metal fatigue fatigue (see FATIGUE n. 2) in metal.
Etymology: ME f. OF metal or L metallum f. Gk metallon mine