enamel
Americannoun
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a glassy substance, usually opaque, applied by fusion to the surface of metal, pottery, etc., as an ornament or for protection.
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any of various varnishes, paints, coatings, etc., drying to a hard, glossy finish.
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any enamellike surface with a bright luster.
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an artistic work executed in enamel.
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Dentistry. the hard, glossy, calcareous covering of the crown of a tooth, containing only a slight amount of organic substance.
verb (used with object)
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enamels,
present (3rd person singular)
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enameled,
past participle, past
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enamelled,
past participle, past (especially British)
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enameling,
present participle
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enamelling
present participle (especially British)
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to inlay or overlay with enamel.
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to form an enamellike surface upon.
to enamel cardboard.
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to decorate as with enamel; variegate with colors.
noun
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a coloured glassy substance, translucent or opaque, fused to the surface of articles made of metal, glass, etc, for ornament or protection
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an article or articles ornamented with enamel
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an enamel-like paint or varnish
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any smooth glossy coating resembling enamel
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another word for nail polish
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the hard white calcified substance that covers the crown of each tooth
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(modifier)
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decorated or covered with enamel
an enamel ring
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made with enamel
enamel paste
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verb
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to inlay, coat, or otherwise decorate with enamel
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to ornament with glossy variegated colours, as if with enamel
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to portray in enamel
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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enamelernoun
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enamelistnoun
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enamellernoun
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enamelworknoun
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unenameledadjective
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unenamelledadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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enamelsimple
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enamelssimple
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have enameledperfect
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have enamelledperfect
-
has enameledperfect
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has enamelledperfect
-
am enamelingprogressive
-
am enamellingprogressive
-
are enamelingprogressive
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are enamellingprogressive
-
is enamelingprogressive
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is enamellingprogressive
-
have been enamelingperfect progressive
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have been enamellingperfect progressive
-
has been enamelingperfect progressive
-
has been enamellingperfect progressive
Past
-
enameledsimple
-
enamelledsimple
-
had enameledperfect
-
had enamelledperfect
-
was enamelingprogressive
-
was enamellingprogressive
-
were enamelingprogressive
-
were enamellingprogressive
-
had been enamelingperfect progressive
-
had been enamellingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of enamel
1275–1325; Middle English enamelen < Anglo-French enameler, enamailler, equivalent to en- en- 1 + -amaler, derivative of asmal, esmal enamel, Old French esmail ( -al taken as the suffix -ail ) < Old Low Franconian *smalt- something melted, cognate with German Schmalz fat; akin to smelt 1; cf. smalto
Explanation
Enamel is the glossy, decorative coating that's applied to metal or pottery to make it prettier and sometimes sturdier. You might cook a casserole in your favorite pot, made of blue enamel. Enamel is used in all kinds of everyday objects, including the surface of washing machines, baking dishes, and some bath tubs. The enamel itself is made from melted powdered glass, which can easily be fused to metal and other surfaces. The outer part of your teeth is also known as enamel, and though sugar and other foods can decay it, your tooth enamel is actually the strongest, hardest substance in your body.
Vocabulary lists containing enamel
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Although it is the hardest tissue in the human body, enamel contains no living cells and cannot repair itself once it has been lost.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026
Instead, it is made from proteins designed to reproduce important functions of the natural proteins involved in enamel development during infancy.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026
Possible applications could include professional treatments for enamel erosion, products for sensitive teeth, and materials designed to improve the durability of fillings or other restorations.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026
Existing products such as fluoride varnishes and remineralization treatments can help strengthen remaining enamel or reduce symptoms, but they cannot effectively replace the original enamel structure.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026
The server picked a blue enamel tin plate from a stack behind her and scooped out a bright yellow blob from the pot in front of her.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
Previously, researchers attempting to construct artificial enamels have struggled to achieve those different levels of organization.
From Science Magazine ● Feb. 2, 2022
She painted it with 1 Shot-brand sign lettering enamels mixed with clear enamel and pearlescent powdered pigments.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 25, 2020
You can buy the enamels from Rust-Oleum for about $40 a can, by the way.
From US News ● Jul. 18, 2016
"Orange Crush," 9 feet tall, 15 feet wide and painted in garish, glossy enamels on a billboard-size metal panel, blows up to monumental scale a still from her high-definition video projection "Green Pink Caviar."
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 23, 2016
Not being able to afford patch boxes or Louis XV enamels, he collected accents instead.
From A Woman of Genius by Mary Hunter Austin
Using an enameled skillet, Syd shows T.J. how to brown the meat along with the onions, then adds tomato paste, explaining that caramelizing it enriches the sauce.
From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2025
Upstairs, the exhibition highlights 19th-century innovations, including the introduction of colored porcelain in celadon, and enameled, painted and gilded pieces.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2025
The tradition is Nico will grab his little enameled metal bowl, and I’ll hand him the cup.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2023
For sale: The historic Decatur Lustron, a “space-age ranch” style home built in 1949 in Decatur, Georgia, from enameled steel panels supplied by a fighter plane factory.
From Washington Times ● May 18, 2023
Felicia’s skin appears enameled in pinks like the wallpaper of Old Havana inns.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
At the top is an enamelled dove with outspread wings, which represents the Holy Ghost.
From Reuters ● May 5, 2023
Page is excited to point out that the table is a reflection of the design in the enamelled iron ceiling.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 8, 2018
A stunning necklace, wrought with jewelled and enamelled flowers, fruits, and butterflies, weighed heavily on its display stand.
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 21, 2015
The Downing Street sign was given an estimated sale price of up to £1,500 An enamelled Downing Street sign has been sold for £7,800 at auction, fetching over £6000 more than expected.
From BBC ● May 21, 2013
A superb enamelled chess-board, with pieces of jasper and crystal, stood at checkmate beside the bed.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
Jeweler Holly Dyment's joyful black Labrador with encrusted diamond collar pendant is crafted in 18-karat rose gold and is made using a signature champlevé enameling technique.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 4, 2015
The award is accompanied by a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso that has been made unique by commemorative engraving and enameling.
From Forbes ● Aug. 30, 2014
The size-12 ring, which commemorates the Giants’ 20-19 victory over the Buffalo Bills in 1991, has two football-shaped diamonds surrounded by “worn blue enameling framed by 17 smaller diamonds,” according to the auction house’s description.
From Washington Post ● May 17, 2012
The craft of enameling is more than 3,000 years old.
From New York Times ● Dec. 10, 2009
If a touch of color is desired, it may be had by filling the etched parts with enamel tinted by the addition of oil colors, such as are used for enameling bathtubs.
From The Boy Mechanic: Volume 1 700 Things for Boys to Do by Popular Mechanics Co.
She also watched a demonstration of traditional enamelling and gilding by hand by master artisans before examining several pieces in closer detail.
From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2022
He sold his patent-rights in a bath-tub enamelling process.
From Time Magazine Archive
Since the Assyrian and Egyptian civilizations, there has been a succession of luxurious developments followed by lapses into the decline and death of the art of enamelling upon metals.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 3 "Electrostatics" to "Engis" by Various
That it had been long in use was evident from the fine opalescent enamelling of the inside.
From Stevenson's Shrine The Record of a Pilgrimage by Laura Stubbs
Theophilus, a monk of the 13th century, describes the process of enamelling as it was understood by the Byzantines of his time, which probably differed but little from earlier methods.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 3 "Electrostatics" to "Engis" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
