What does metal mean?
Metal is the general term for materials such as iron, copper, silver, gold, and aluminum. These substances are usually lustrous, malleable, and good conductors of heat and electricity, although the defining characteristics vary among elements and alloys. In ordinary speech, metal can refer to metal as a material, to a particular chemical element, or to money, especially in informal contexts. The word also names a popular music genre built around amplified guitars, heavy percussion, distorted sound, and forceful vocals. Metal is common in technical, industrial, and everyday language, appearing in combinations such as “heavy metal,” “metal band,” “metal detector,” and “sheet metal.” Its broad meaning makes it useful when discussing materials, manufacturing, chemistry, music, and cultural style.
A substance or chemical element having the usual properties of metals, such as luster, malleability, and conductivity; also, collectively, such material.
"Copper is a metal used in electrical wiring."
A genre of popular music featuring amplified instruments, distorted guitars, strong rhythms, and forceful vocals.
"The band helped popularize metal in the 1980s."
Made of, consisting of, or relating to metal.
"A metal fence surrounded the garden."
Informally, to cover or protect something with metal.
"The old tool was metaled with a thin layer of steel."
Use the plural when referring to different metals or metallic elements, as in “the properties of metals.”
"Many metals change their properties when they are combined into alloys."
Metal began as a word for a hidden treasure: the word's ancient roots meant mine, quarry, or place where ore was obtained.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does metal come from?
The English word comes through Old French from Latin metallum, meaning a mine or quarry and, by extension, a metal or ore. Latin metallum was borrowed from the earlier Greek metallon, which referred to a mine or the place where metals were obtained. Related forms include metallurgy, the science and craft of working metals, and metallurgical, an adjective concerning metals or their study.
Related word forms
How metal is actually used
As a noun, “metal” is standard in both British and American English. As a verb meaning to cover something with metal, it is most common in informal American usage. In music, “metal” is a genre label, while “heavy metal” specifically refers to a more extreme subgenre.
Easily confused with metal
A metal is a material or chemical element, whereas a medal is an award or decorative piece of metal.
Metal refers to a material and, by extension, a musical genre; mental relates to the mind or intellect.