zinc

[ zingk ]

noun

1. Chemistry. a ductile, bluish-white metallic element: used in making galvanized iron, brass, and other alloys, and as an element in voltaic cells. : Zn; : 65.37; : 30; : 7.14 at 20°C.
2. a piece of this metal used as an element in a voltaic cell.

verb (used with object)

zincked or zinced [zingkt],zincking or zincing [zing, -king].

1. to coat or cover with zinc.

zinc

/ zɪŋk /

noun

1. a brittle bluish-white metallic element that becomes coated with a corrosion-resistant layer in moist air and occurs chiefly in sphalerite and smithsonite. It is a constituent of several alloys, esp brass and nickel-silver, and is used in die-casting, galvanizing metals, and in battery electrodes. Symbol: Zn; atomic no: 30; atomic wt: 65.39; valency: 2; relative density: 7.133; melting pt: 419.58°C; boiling pt: 907°C
2. informal.
   corrugated galvanized iron

zinc

/ zĭngk /

1. A shiny, bluish-white metallic element that is brittle at room temperature but is malleable when heated. It is used in alloys such as brass and bronze, as a coating for iron and steel, and in various household objects. Zinc is essential to human and animal growth. Atomic number 30; atomic weight 65.39; melting point 419.4°C; boiling point 907°C; specific gravity 7.133 (25°C); valence 2.
2. See Periodic Table

Derived Forms

• ˈzincky, adjective
• ˈzincic, adjective

Other Words From

• zincky zincy zinky adjective
• zincoid adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of zinc¹

1635–45; < German Zink, perhaps derivative of Zinke ( n ) prong, tine, from the spikelike form it takes in a furnace

Word History and Origins

Origin of zinc¹

C17: from German Zink, perhaps from Zinke prong, from its jagged appearance in the furnace

Example Sentences

Hydroxide formed at the cathode surface travels to the anode and reacts with zinc to release energy that powers other devices.

From Science News

They work at high pH and typically use zinc as the charge carrier.

From Ars Technica

For example, studies suggest that giving zinc reduces the risk for death from a pneumonia infection.

From Science News

Later, the new plastic can be heated and molded again, without adding more of the zinc material.

From Science News For Students

The familiar ones, like zinc and iron, help build a plant’s fruits and vegetables.

From Nautilus

The more than 50,000 who reside in West Point live mostly in shacks made of zinc with rusted tin roofs.

From The Daily Beast

But the coolest part may have been what was placed inside a zinc case in the cornerstone.

From The Daily Beast

Excess calcium causing zinc and iron deficiency offers just one simple illustration of this kind of interaction.

From The Daily Beast

And many are packed with nutrients like zinc, iron, and calcium.

From The Daily Beast

“What we made was zinc and aluminum die castings,” he told me last Friday in Lima, Ohio.

From The Daily Beast

It is only necessary to have a zinc, or a galvanized tray on which to stand the glass in an inverted position.

From Project Gutenberg

The goldfields of Australia are historic, and the silver, lead and zinc mines of Broken Hill deserve particular mention.

From Project Gutenberg

I am now taking, twice a day, the flowers of zinc, from which I hope to be soon right again.

From Project Gutenberg

If the zinc sulphide were not the less soluble, it would be rapidly converted into the black ferrous sulphide.

From Project Gutenberg

It is a comparatively easy matter to determine the relative solubility of zinc and ferrous sulphides.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• gold
• iron
• metal
• mineral
• platinum