enamel

[ ih-nam-uhl ]

See synonyms for: enamel enameled enameling enamelled on Thesaurus.com

noun

a glassy substance, usually opaque, applied by fusion to the surface of metal, pottery, etc., as an ornament or for protection.
enamelware.

any of various varnishes, paints, coatings, etc., drying to a hard, glossy finish.
any enamellike surface with a bright luster.
an artistic work executed in enamel.
Dentistry. the hard, glossy, calcareous covering of the crown of a tooth, containing only a slight amount of organic substance.

verb (used with object),e·nam·eled, e·nam·el·ing or (especially British) e·nam·elled, e·nam·el·ling.

to inlay or overlay with enamel.
to form an enamellike surface upon: to enamel cardboard.

to decorate as with enamel; variegate with colors.

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 smelt¹; cf. smalto

Other words from enamel

e·nam·el·er; especially British, e·nam·el·ler, noun
e·nam·el·ist; especially British, e·nam·el·list, noun
e·nam·el·work, noun
un·e·nam·eled, adjective
un·e·nam·elled, adjective

Words Nearby enamel

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use enamel in a sentence

The bacteria ferment those things, creating natural acids that start to dissolve the tooth enamel, similar to how water combines with carbon dioxide to dissolve limestone in a cave.
Why People Who Brush Still Get Cavities | Maggie Koerth (maggie.koerth-baker@fivethirtyeight.com) | August 18, 2021 | FiveThirtyEight
This lowers the pH in your mouth and can cause enamel demineralization, a precursor to cavities.
Brush up on how to care for your teeth with these tips from dentists | Allyson Chiu | June 17, 2021 | Washington Post
Like the gap left behind after losing a tooth — the ragged, sore space in your mouth always felt larger than the tiny bit of enamel that fell out.
The spellbinding ‘Revival Season’ makes Monica West an author to watch | Naomi Jackson | May 28, 2021 | Washington Post
Examination of layers of enamel in fossil teeth shows that early hominids were getting their first molar at age 3, twice as fast as us.
Who Took Care Of The First Baby? | Maggie Koerth (maggie.koerth-baker@fivethirtyeight.com) | May 11, 2021 | FiveThirtyEight
Anyone who had lead in childhood tooth enamel was almost certainly born locally.
How technology helped archaeologists dig deeper | Annalee Newitz | April 28, 2021 | MIT Technology Review

Eventually, the fire sale extended to his personal belongings—including a $20 enamel teapot.
The Zillionaires Who Lost Everything | Tom Sykes | October 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The chicken was cut into large chunks and all the blood from both birds sat in a dirty old enamel jug.
Two Chickens, an Old Guitar, and a Group of Strangers: A Life-Changing Feast in Brazil | Annabel Langbein | November 29, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Fortunately, childhood is protected by a resisting candour, by an enamel over which all impurities glide.
The Nabob | Alphonse Daudet
The room was large, high-domed; the walls covered with gold and colored enamel in fantastic arabesques.
God Wills It! | William Stearns Davis
Grisel took a little silver and enamel cigarette box out of her pocket and put it on the table.
Happy House | Betsey Riddle, Freifrau von Hutten zum Stolzenberg
Years and etiquette combined have led her Majesty to the thraldom of the rouge and enamel pot.
The Onlooker, Volume 1, Part 2 | Various
He shrugged, reached into the desk for a box of Jaipur brass enamel and took from it a medal attached to a ribbon.
The Adventures of Kathlyn | Harold MacGrath

British Dictionary definitions for enamel

enamel

/ (ɪˈnæməl) /

noun

a coloured glassy substance, translucent or opaque, fused to the surface of articles made of metal, glass, etc, for ornament or protection
an article or articles ornamented with enamel

an enamel-like paint or varnish
any smooth glossy coating resembling enamel
another word for nail polish
the hard white calcified substance that covers the crown of each tooth
(modifier)
- decorated or covered with enamel: an enamel ring
- made with enamel: enamel paste

verb-els, -elling or -elled or US -els, -eling or -eled (tr)

to inlay, coat, or otherwise decorate with enamel
to ornament with glossy variegated colours, as if with enamel

to portray in enamel

Origin of enamel

C15: from Old French esmail, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German smalz lard; see smelt 1

Derived forms of enamel

enameller, enamellist, US enameler or enamelist, noun
enamelwork, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for enamel

enamel

[ ĭ-năm′əl ]

The hard, translucent substance covering the exposed portion of a tooth in mammals. Enamel is the hardest substance in the body, and consists mostly of calcium salts.

Cultural definitions for enamel

enamel

The hard, white substance that covers the crown of a tooth.

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