bronze

American  

[bronz] / brɒnz /

noun

• bronzes
  plural

1. Metallurgy.

   1. any of various alloys consisting essentially of copper and tin, the tin content not exceeding 11 percent.

   2. any of various other alloys having a large copper content.

2. a metallic brownish color.

3. a work of art, as a statue, statuette, bust, or medal, composed of bronze.

4. Numismatics. a coin made of bronze, especially one from the Roman Empire.

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verb (used with object)

• bronzes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• bronzed,
  past participle,  past
• bronzing
  present participle

1. to give the appearance or color of bronze to.

2. to make brown, as by exposure to the sun.

   The sun bronzed his face.

3. Printing.

   1. to apply a fine metallic powder to (the ink of a printed surface) in order to create a glossy effect.

   2. to apply a fine metallic powder to (areas of a reproduction proof on acetate) in order to increase opacity.

adjective

1. having the color bronze.

bronze British  

/ brɒnz /

noun

1. 1. any hard water-resistant alloy consisting of copper and smaller proportions of tin and sometimes zinc and lead

   2. any similar copper alloy containing other elements in place of tin, such as aluminium bronze, beryllium bronze, etc See also phosphor bronze gunmetal Compare brass

2. a yellowish-brown colour or pigment

3. a statue, medal, or other object made of bronze

4. short for bronze medal

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adjective

1. made of or resembling bronze

2. of a yellowish-brown colour

   a bronze skin

verb

1. (esp of the skin) to make or become brown; tan

2. (tr) to give the appearance of bronze to

bronze Scientific  

/ brŏnz /

1. A yellow or brown alloy of copper and tin, sometimes with small amounts of other metals such as lead or zinc. Bronze is harder than brass and is used both in industry and in art.

2. An alloy of copper and certain metals other than tin, such as aluminum.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• bronzelike
  adjective
• bronzy
  adjective
• prebronze
  adjective
• quasi-bronze
  adjective
• unbronzed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• bronzes
  plural

Participles

• bronzing
  present
• bronzed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• bronze
  simple
• bronzes
  simple
• have bronzed
  perfect
• has bronzed
  perfect
• am bronzing
  progressive
• are bronzing
  progressive
• is bronzing
  progressive
• have been bronzing
  perfect progressive
• has been bronzing
  perfect progressive

Past

• bronzed
  simple
• had bronzed
  perfect
• was bronzing
  progressive
• were bronzing
  progressive
• had been bronzing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will bronze
  simple
• will have bronzed
  perfect
• will be bronzing
  progressive
• will have been bronzing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of bronze

1730–40; < French < Italian, of obscure origin

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Explanation

Bronze is a dull gold-colored metal that's used to make musical instruments, sculptures, and coins. If you get a bronze medal in the Olympics, you came in third place — nice job! Bronze is an alloy of copper, tin, and other metals. For a long time, pennies were made of bronze (today they use zinc). Cymbals, bells, and gongs are traditionally crafted using bronze, and you'll get tired of counting the many bronze sculptures found in most art museums. As a verb, this word is frequently used to mean "tan," so while you burn when you forget your sunblock, your cousin tends to bronze to a burnished shade of brown.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bronze bronzes bronzed bronzing

In 2016, she claimed 1500m bronze at the European Championships in Amsterdam, but her Olympic debut ended in disappointment as she exited the 1500m competition at the semi-final stage.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

In the distance was a bronze statue of Louis XIV on a rearing horse in the majestic Place des Victoires, its stone pedestal stained by protesters’ splashes of red paint.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

Clay was used for utilitarian objects such as pottery; roughing out ideas for larger sculptures; and modeling at full size monumental works to be cast in bronze.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

Another important discovery followed in 2022, when archaeologists identified nearby burials of elite craftspeople accompanied by gold, silver, and bronze tools.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026

Yakov emerged, dressed in the same handsome evening suit and white shirt he had worn the night he died, a bronze watch chain draped across his pinstriped waistcoat.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Our critic noted “This is the largest presentation of Giacometti’s plaster sculptures in the U.S.—and for those who know only his bronzes, a few of which are included in the show, it is revelatory.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

This is the largest presentation of Giacometti’s plaster sculptures in the U.S.—and for those who know only his bronzes, a few of which are included in the show, it is revelatory.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

These are paired with the organic wooden sculptures of Claudia Comte, the curvaceous surfaces of which echo the lively plants of Matisse’s cut-outs, and touching bronzes by Geles Cabrera.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026

She won a silver and two bronzes at the 2019 Worlds before retiring in 2021.

From BBC ● Mar. 4, 2026

He showed Richard the wide rectangular ditches where the excavations had taken place, the shovels and pans that had been used to brush the dust off the bronzes.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Not far away, Yount was bronzed mid-swing as a statue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026

She has shared a before-and-after with her 59,000 followers: Her face, once splotchy with some acne scarring, is now clear, bronzed and glowing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 22, 2026

We wanted pasta that stretched and sighed, casseroles that arrived bubbling and bronzed, soups that tasted like something rescued from memory and improved by adulthood.

From Salon ● Dec. 18, 2025

Effective public health messaging – which has drilled "Slip, Slop, Slap" into their heads – competes with a beauty culture which often idolises bronzed skin.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2025

Joe, sun bronzed and barefoot in his jersey and shorts, took Joyce, slight and slender in a frilly white summer dress, and twirled her once under his long, outstretched arm.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

“They’ve had a curated set of items that they’ve gone after, so whether that be in blushes or in lips or in highlighter or bronzing categories, they’re seeing strength across the board,” Fields said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Not long ago, the “Mar-a-Lago face” seemed inescapable — a viral shorthand for an exaggerated cosmetic aesthetic marked by heavy bronzing, sharply sculpted cheeks, overly plumped lips and high-gloss polish.

From Salon ● Jan. 10, 2026

Bahder, whose expertise traditionally involves detecting lethal bronzing in palm trees, explained that the fundamental process of molecular testing is similar across different organisms, with the main difference being the DNA sequence.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 22, 2024

Hyposecretion of the corticosteroids can cause Addison’s disease, which may result in bronzing of the skin, hypoglycemia, and low electrolyte levels in the blood.

From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022

The oak wilt disease is caused by the fungus Chalara quercina Henry and is characterized by a very noticeable bronzing and wilting of leaves that drop prematurely.

From Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the 43rd Annual Meeting Rockport, Indiana, August 25, 26 and 27, 1952 by Northern Nut Growers Association

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