base metal

American  

noun

1. any metal other than a precious or noble metal, as copper, lead, zinc, or tin.

2. the principal metal of an alloy.

3. the principal metal of a piece underlying a coating of another metal; core.

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base metal British  

noun

1. any of certain common metals such as copper, lead, zinc, and tin, as distinct from the precious metals, gold, silver, and platinum

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Example Sentences

The base metal had risen to around $3,500 a metric ton after news of Middle Eastern smelters shutting, the analysts say.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

However, judge Lord Sandison rejected the claims, describing the way Biffa interpreted the letter as "wishful thinking" on a par with trying to turn "base metal into gold".

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2026

You can call cobalt a base metal, or stick it with uranium in special metals.

From Barron's • Dec. 26, 2025

Pairing these metal oxides with a conductive carbon network improves electron movement and prevents the particles from clumping together, which is a frequent issue in conventional base metal catalysts.

From Science Daily • Dec. 11, 2025

Gogol has a room of his own, a bed with a built-in drawer in its base, metal shelves that hold Tinkertoys, Lincoln Logs, a View-Master, an Etch-A- Sketch.

From "The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri