Wiktionary

metal

See also: Metal, metâl, métal, and metál

English

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 metal on Wikipedia
Some well-known metallic elements

Etymology

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From Middle English metal, a borrowing from Old French metal, from Latin metallum (“metal, mine, quarry, mineral”), itself a borrowing from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon, “mine, quarry, metal”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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metal (countable and uncountable, plural metals)

  1. (heading) Chemical elements or alloys, and the mines where their ores come from.
    1. Any of a number of chemical elements in the periodic table that form a metallic bond with other metal atoms; generally shiny, somewhat malleable and hard, often a conductor of heat and electricity.
      • 2014 April 21, “Subtle effects”, in The Economist, volume 411, number 8884:
        Manganism has been known about since the 19th century, when miners exposed to ores containing manganese, a silvery metal, began to totter, slur their speech and behave like someone inebriated.
    2. Any material with similar physical properties, such as an alloy.
      • 1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:
        But then I had the flintlock by me for protection. ¶ There were giants in the days when that gun was made; for surely no modern mortal could have held that mass of metal steady to his shoulder. The linen-press and a chest on the top of it formed, however, a very good gun-carriage; and, thus mounted, aim could be taken out of the window […].
    3. (astronomy) An element which was not directly created after the Big Bang but instead formed through nuclear reactions; any element other than hydrogen and helium.
      • 2003, Michael A. Seeds, Astronomy: The Solar System and Beyond, Thomson Brooks/Cole, →ISBN:
        Most of the matter in stars is hydrogen and helium, and the metals (including carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and so on) were cooked up inside stars.
      • 2008, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Geochemical Society, Oxygen in the solar system, Mineralogical Society of Amer →ISBN
        Thus, for the remaining elements, including oxygen, the solid phase appears to be important. In fact, at a metallicity of Z=0.02, and with a gas-to-dust ratio of 100, about half of the metals — including oxygen — are contained in the solid phase.
      • 2015, Alan Longstaff, Astrobiology: An Introduction, CRC Press, →ISBN, page 350:
        Metals include oxygen and carbon which means that water and organic molecules would have been abundant in the early universe, perhaps paving the way for the emergence of life within a couple of billion years of the Big Bang.
    5. Crushed rock, stones etc. used to make a road.
      • 1922, Falls Cyril, The History of the 36th (Ulster) Division‎[1], M'Caw, Stevenson and Orr, Ltd:
        One of the most important tasks was the metalling of the roads, and the dumping of metal beside them in parts where it was impossible to lay it, in order that work might commence with the assault. The surface of the roads was good, but only because the Division had been holding a front so wide, which made the traffic upon them relatively light.
    6. (mining) The ore from which a metal is derived.[1]
    7. (obsolete) A mine from which ores are taken.
      • 1660, Jeremy Taylor, Ductor Dubitantium, or the Rule of Conscience in All Her General Measures; […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: […] James Flesher, for Richard Royston […], →OCLC:
        slaves […] and persons condemned to metals
  3. (heraldry) A light tincture used in a coat of arms, specifically argent (white or silver) and or (gold).
    Coordinate terms: colour, stain, fur
  4. (glassblowing) Molten glass that is to be blown or moulded to form objects.[2]
  5. (music) A category of rock music encompassing a number of genres (including thrash metal, death metal, heavy metal, etc.) characterized by strong drum-beats and distorted guitars.
  7. (figurative, archaic) The substance that constitutes something or someone; matter; hence, character or temper.
    Synonym: mettle
    • 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], page 104:
      Leonato. Well, neece, I hope to ſee you one day fitted with a husband. / Beatrice. Not till God make men of ſome other mettall then earth, would it not grieue a woman to be over-maſtred with a peece of valiant duſt?
  8. The effective power or calibre of guns carried by a vessel of war.
  9. (UK, in the plural) The rails of a railway.
  10. (informal, travel, aviation) The actual airline operating a flight, rather than any of the codeshare operators.
    We have American Airlines tickets, but it's on British Airways metal.

Antonyms

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  • (antonym(s) of “any of a number of chemical elements in the periodic table that form a metallic bond with other metal atoms”): nonmetal

Derived terms

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Translations

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Adjective

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metal (comparative more metal, superlative most metal)

  1. (music) Characterized by strong drum-beats and distorted guitars. [1970s and after]
  2. Having the emotional or social characteristics associated with metal music; brash, bold, frank, unyielding, etc.
    • 2008, Lich King, “Attack of the Wrath of the War of the Death of the Strike of the Sword of the Blood of the Beast”, in Toxic Zombie Onslaught:
      The beast will destroy everything in his path
      With this song on the upcoming brawl
      It sure is a long one and tough to pronounce but
      It's the most metal title of all
    • 2012 August, “Tested Bowling Balls”, in Front‎[2], number 171, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 40:
      Top tip: Bowling gloves are for sissies, although they look metal as fuck.
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Verb

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metal (third-person singular simple present metals, present participle metaling or metalling, simple past and past participle metaled or metalled)

  1. To make a road using crushed rock, stones etc.

References

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  1. ^ Rossiter W[orthington] Raymond (1881) “Metal”, in A Glossary of Mining and Metallurgical Terms. […], Easton, Pa.: [American] Institute [of Mining Engineers], […], →OCLC.
  2. ^ Edward H[enry] Knight (1877) “Metal”, in Knight’s American Mechanical Dictionary. […], volumes II (GAS–REA), New York, N.Y.: Hurd and Houghton […], →OCLC.

Albanian

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Noun

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metal m (definite metali)

  1. (chemistry) metal

Further reading

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  • “metal”, in FGJSH: Fjalor i gjuhës shqipe [Dictionary of the Albanian language] (in Albanian), 2006
  • FGJSSH: Fjalor i gjuhës së sotme shqipe [Dictionary of the modern Albanian language]‎[3], 1980

Aragonese

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Etymology

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From Latin metallum, from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon).

Noun

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metal m (plural metals)

  1. metal

References

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Asturian

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Asturian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia ast

Etymology

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From Latin metallum, from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon).

Noun

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metal m (plural metales)

  1. metal

Breton

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Noun

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metal m (plural metaloù)

  1. metal

Inflection

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The template Template:br-noun-mutation does not use the parameter(s): 
g=m
Please see Module:checkparams for help with this warning.

Mutation of metal
unmutated soft aspirate hard
singular metal vetal unchanged unchanged
plural metaloù vetaloù unchanged unchanged

Catalan

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English metal. Doublet of metall.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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metal m (uncountable)

  1. (music) metal

Further reading

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Czech

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Pronunciation

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Participle

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metal

  1. masculine singular past active participle of metat

Danish

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Danish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia da

Etymology

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From Latin metallum, from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon, “metal, mine”).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /metal/, [meˈtˢal]

Noun

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metal n (singular definite metallet, plural indefinite metaller)

  1. metal

Inflection

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Declension of metal
neuter
gender 		singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative metal metallet metaller metallerne
genitive metals metallets metallers metallernes

Further reading

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Dutch

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English metal.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈmɛ.təl/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: me‧tal

Noun

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metal m (uncountable)

  1. (music) metal (rock genre)
    Synonym: heavy metal

Derived terms

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French

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Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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Noun

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metal m (uncountable)

  1. metal (music style)

Derived terms

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Galician

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Pronunciation

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Noun

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metal m (plural metais)

  1. metal
    De pouco lle sirve seu duro metal que o tempo e o tempo virá a derreter.
    His hard metal is of little use to him as time and time will come to melt.

Further reading

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Italian

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Etymology

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Borrowed from English metal.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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metal m (invariable)

  1. (music) metal
    Synonym: heavy metal
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References

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  1. ^ metal in Luciano Canepari, Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)

Anagrams

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Middle English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Old French metal, from Latin metallum, from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /mɛˈtaːl/, /ˈmɛtal/, /ˈmɛtəl/

Noun

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metal (plural metalles)

  1. metal (class of elements)
  2. metalwork (metal item)
  3. (mining) metal, ore
  4. (heraldry, rare) metal (class of tinctures)

Descendants

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  • English: metal, mettle
  • Scots: metal
  • → Welsh: metel

References

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Middle French

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Noun

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metal m (plural metaulx)

  1. metal

Occitan

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Latin metallum, from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon). Attested from the 12th century.[1]

Pronunciation

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Noun

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metal m (plural metals)

  1. metal
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References

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  1. ^ Diccionari General de la Lenga Occitana, L’Academia occitana – Consistòri del Gai Saber, 2008-2024, page 380.

Further reading

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  • Joan de Cantalausa (2006) Diccionari general occitan a partir dels parlars lengadocians‎[4], 2 edition, →ISBN, page 644.

Old French

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Etymology

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From Latin metallum, see above.

Noun

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metal oblique singular, m (oblique plural metaus or metax or metals, nominative singular metaus or metax or metals, nominative plural metal)

  1. metal (material)

Old Spanish

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Etymology

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Borrowed with apocope from Latin metallum, from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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metal m (plural metales)

  1. metal
    • c. 1250, Alfonso X, Lapidario, 2r:
      Et es grand marauilla que el fierro que uence todos los otros metales por fortaleza que a en ſi uence lo eſta piedra por ſu ṕṕedat.
      And it is a great marvel that iron, which defats all other metals due to the strength it has, is defeated by this stone due to its property.
    • Idem, f. 21v.
      Et otroſſi ſi lo mezclan con eſtanno torna negro. ⁊ ſi con plata lo mezclan recibe la blancura della ⁊ aſſi faz con cada metal.
      And also, if they mix it with tin it becomes black, and if they mix it with silver it receives whiteness from it, and likewise with every metal.

Descendants

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Piedmontese

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Pronunciation

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Noun

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metal m (plural metaj)

  1. metal
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Polish

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Polish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia pl

Etymology

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Internationalism; compare English metal, French métal, German Metall, ultimately from Latin metallum, from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon). Sense 3 is a semantic loan from English metal.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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metal m inan (related adjective metalowy)

  1. (chemistry) metal (atomic element or material made of such atoms)
    Antonym: niemetal
  2. (heraldry) metal (light tincture used in a coat of arms, specifically argent (white or silver) and or (gold))
  4. metal (style of music)

Declension

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Declension of metal
singular plural
nominative metal metale
genitive metalu metali
dative metalowi metalom
accusative metal metale
instrumental metalem metalami
locative metalu metalach
vocative metalu metale

Noun

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metal m pers

  1. (music, slang) metalhead, metaller, metallist (one who listens to heavy metal music)
    Synonyms: heavymetalowiec, metalowiec

Declension

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Declension of metal
singular plural
nominative metal metale
genitive metala metali
dative metalowi metalom
accusative metala metali
instrumental metalem metalami
locative metalu metalach
vocative metalu metale

Derived terms

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adjectives
nouns
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adverb
noun

Further reading

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  • metal in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • metal in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

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Etymology 1

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Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese metal, from Old Spanish metal, from Old Catalan metall, matall, from Latin metallum (“metal, mine, quarry, mineral”), from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon, “mine, quarry, metal”).

Pronunciation

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  • Rhymes: -al, -aw
  • Hyphenation: me‧tal

Noun

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metal m (plural metais)

  1. (chemistry) metal (any of a number of elements that form a metallic bond with other metal atoms)
    Antonyms: não-metal, ametal
  2. metal (any of a number of a number of hard but malleable materials consisting of metallic atoms)
  3. (poetic) money; wealth; riches
    Synonyms: riqueza, dinheiro
  4. (heraldry) white (argent) or yellow (or) tincture on a coat of arms
  5. (music, usually in the plural) brass instrument
Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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Unadapted borrowing from English metal.

Pronunciation

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  • (Portugal) IPA(key): /ˌmɛˈtɐl/ [ˌmɛˈtɐɫ], /mɨˈtal/ [mɨˈtaɫ]
    • (Southern Portugal) IPA(key): /ˌmɛˈtɐ.li/, /mɨˈta.li/

Noun

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metal m (uncountable)

  1. (music) metal; heavy metal
    Synonym: heavy metal
Derived terms
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Romanian

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Etymology

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Borrowed from French métal or German Metall.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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metal n (plural metale)

  1. metal

Declension

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Declension of metal
singular plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative-accusative metal metalul metale metalele
genitive-dative metal metalului metale metalelor
vocative metalule metalelor
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Further reading

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Serbo-Croatian

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Serbo-Croatian Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia sh

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /mětaːl/
  • Hyphenation: me‧tal

Noun

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mètāl m (Cyrillic spelling мѐта̄л)

  1. (chemistry) metal
    Synonym: kovina

Declension

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Declension of metal
singular plural
nominative mètāl metali
genitive metála metala
dative metalu metalima
accusative metal metale
vocative metale metali
locative metalu metalima
instrumental metalom metalima

Further reading

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  • “metal”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2025

Slovene

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Participle

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métał

  1. masculine singular l-participle of metáti

Spanish

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Spanish Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia es

Etymology

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Inherited from Old Spanish metal, from Old French métal or Old Occitan metall, these from Latin metallum, from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon, “mine, quarry, metal”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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metal m (plural metales)

  1. metal
  2. (heraldry) metal
  3. (music) metal

Derived terms

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Further reading

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Tagalog

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Spanish metal, from Old Spanish metal, from Old French métal or Old Occitan metall, these from Latin metallum, from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon, “mine, quarry, metal”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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metál (Baybayin spelling ᜋᜒᜆᜎ᜔)

  1. metal
    Synonym: (rare) kansa

Derived terms

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See also

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Further reading

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  • “metal”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018

Turkish

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Etymology

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From French métal.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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metal (definite accusative metali, plural metaller)

  1. metal

Declension

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Declension of metal
singular plural
nominative metal metaller
definite accusative metali metalleri
dative metale metallere
locative metalde metallerde
ablative metalden metallerden
genitive metalin metallerin
Possessive forms
nominative
singular plural
1st singular metalim metallerim
2nd singular metalin metallerin
3rd singular metali metalleri
1st plural metalimiz metallerimiz
2nd plural metaliniz metalleriniz
3rd plural metalleri metalleri
definite accusative
singular plural
1st singular metalimi metallerimi
2nd singular metalini metallerini
3rd singular metalini metallerini
1st plural metalimizi metallerimizi
2nd plural metalinizi metallerinizi
3rd plural metallerini metallerini
dative
singular plural
1st singular metalime metallerime
2nd singular metaline metallerine
3rd singular metaline metallerine
1st plural metalimize metallerimize
2nd plural metalinize metallerinize
3rd plural metallerine metallerine
locative
singular plural
1st singular metalimde metallerimde
2nd singular metalinde metallerinde
3rd singular metalinde metallerinde
1st plural metalimizde metallerimizde
2nd plural metalinizde metallerinizde
3rd plural metallerinde metallerinde
ablative
singular plural
1st singular metalimden metallerimden
2nd singular metalinden metallerinden
3rd singular metalinden metallerinden
1st plural metalimizden metallerimizden
2nd plural metalinizden metallerinizden
3rd plural metallerinden metallerinden
genitive
singular plural
1st singular metalimin metallerimin
2nd singular metalinin metallerinin
3rd singular metalinin metallerinin
1st plural metalimizin metallerimizin
2nd plural metalinizin metallerinizin
3rd plural metallerinin metallerinin

Further reading

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Turkmen

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Pronunciation

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  • Hyphenation: me‧tal

Noun

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metal (definite accusative metaly, plural metallar)

  1. metal

Declension

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Declension of metal
singular plural
nominative metal metallar
accusative metaly metallary
genitive metalyň metallaryň
dative metala metallara
locative metalda metallarda
ablative metaldan metallardan

Further reading

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  • “metal” in Enedilim.com
  • “metal” in Webonary.org
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