metal
B2Neutral
Definition
Meaning
A hard, shiny, solid material, often a chemical element such as iron, gold, or silver, which is malleable and a good conductor of heat and electricity.
1. A specific type of music genre characterized by loud, distorted guitars and emphatic rhythms (heavy metal). 2. Road surfaces or railway tracks (UK: tarmac and sleepers). 3. Figuratively, strength, resilience, or the character of a person (e.g., 'test your metal'). 4. In printing, type made of metal.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word's primary meaning is a material class, but it has developed strong, domain-specific meanings in music and figurative language.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In UK English, 'metal' is often used in compound nouns related to railways (e.g., 'points and metal'). In US English, the term 'heavy metal' for the music genre is more consistently used as a standalone noun ('He plays metal').
Connotations
Similar core connotations. The figurative phrase 'to have metal' (meaning courage) is slightly more literary/archaic in both varieties.
Frequency
The core material meaning is equally high-frequency. The music genre term is slightly more prevalent in US media discourse.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
made of metalmetal [noun] (e.g., metal box)[noun] metal (e.g., scrap metal)be metalwork with metalVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “heavy metal”
- “test your metal”
- “metal to the pedal (variant of 'pedal to the metal')”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Referring to commodities trading (e.g., 'base metals rallied on the LME'), manufacturing costs.
Academic
In chemistry, physics, and materials science, describing properties, classification, and reactions.
Everyday
Discussing objects, jewellery, car parts, or music preferences.
Technical
Specifying grades (e.g., 'aerospace-grade metal'), welding, metallurgy.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The roads were gritted and metalled for the winter.
- They plan to metal the old railway path.
American English
- The county will metal the gravel road next summer.
adjective
British English
- He wore a metal bracelet.
- The metal gate was rusted shut.
American English
- She had a metal taste in her mouth.
- The band has a very metal sound.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The bridge is made of metal.
- My ring is silver metal.
- Don't touch that, the metal is hot.
- We recycled all the scrap metal from the garage.
- Iron is a very useful metal.
- He listens to heavy metal music.
- The sculpture was fashioned from welded pieces of corroded metal.
- Investing in precious metals can be a hedge against inflation.
- The characteristic sound of the genre is down-tuned, distorted metal.
- The metallurgist analysed the metal's crystalline structure for impurities.
- His rhetoric had a cold, metallic quality that unnerved the audience.
- The decree was tested in the furnace of public opinion and found to be base metal.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a MEDAL made of shiny METAL. Both words sound similar and are often hard, prize-worthy objects.
Conceptual Metaphor
STRENGTH IS METAL ('a argument of steel'), VALUE IS METAL ('worth its weight in gold'), LOUDNESS/AGGRESSION IS METAL ('a metallic roar', 'heavy metal music').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating 'heavy metal' (music) as 'тяжёлый метал' (which means toxic heavy metal in chemistry). Use 'хэви-метал'.
- The Russian 'металл' is a direct cognate but can sound slightly more technical/industrial in some contexts than the English 'metal'.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'metal' with 'mettle' (courage) in the phrase 'test your mettle'.
- Misspelling as 'mettle' when referring to the material.
- Using non-count form for countable types: 'Copper and iron are metal' (correct) vs. 'Copper and iron are metals' (also correct, referring to types).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'metal' used as a verb?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is usually uncountable when referring to the material substance ('a box made of metal'). It becomes countable when referring to types or varieties ('Copper and gold are both metals').
'Metal' is the physical material. 'Mettle' is a figurative noun meaning courage and strength of character. They are homophones. The phrase is 'test your mettle'.
Yes, it functions as a noun modifier (a metal bar) and, informally, can describe something resembling the qualities of metal music (a 'metal' attitude) or the literal properties (a 'metal' taste).
The etymology is debated. It likely originates from the 1960s counterculture, possibly from William S. Burroughs's novel 'The Soft Machine' or the phrase 'heavy metal thunder' in Steppenwolf's 'Born to Be Wild' (1968), evoking power and weight.