gunmetal

or gun met·al

[ guhn-met-l ]

/ ˈgʌnˌmɛt l /

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noun

any of various alloys or metallic substances with a dark gray or blackish color or finish, used for chains, belt buckles, etc.

Also called gunmetal gray . a dark gray with bluish or purplish tinge.

a bronze formerly much used for cannon.

an alloy of 88 percent copper, 10 percent tin, and 2 percent zinc, cast or machined for use in valves, gears, and other parts.

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Origin of gunmetal

First recorded in 1535–45; gun¹ + metal

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

How to use gunmetal in a sentence

“You can imagine the sound of that gun on a Bronx street,” Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce says.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
That act forever sealed his feeling for the Chief, bound it up with the war, with violence, with the gun.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The taste of metal cutlery after years of plastic can also taste funny.
His First Day Out Of Jail After 40 Years: Adjusting To Life Outside|Justin Rohrlich|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I mean, the reality of it was, I had to go out and get on a horse, and ride in, shoot the gun — how hard was that, right?
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST

They were the machine gun bullets coming from the ambush when my company got hit.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
This was no strange sight to the boy by that time, but it was awkward in the circumstances, for he had neither gun nor spear.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
He turned at the sound of my voice with vastly more concern than he'd betrayed under the muzzle of Piegan's gun.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
In the metal of the tenor several coins are visible, one being a Spanish dollar of 1742.
Showell's Dictionary of Birmingham|Thomas T. Harman and Walter Showell
The metal is then removed, and washed successively with very dilute sodium hydroxid solution, alcohol, and ether.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
He was a good judge of men, that eagle-faced major; he knew that the slightest move with hostile intent would mean a smoking gun.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair

British Dictionary definitions for gunmetal

gunmetal

/ (ˈɡʌnˌmɛtəl) /

noun

a type of bronze containing copper (88 per cent), tin (8–10 per cent), and zinc (2–4 per cent): used for parts that are subject to wear or to corrosion, esp by sea water

any of various dark grey metals used for toys, belt buckles, etc

a dark grey colour with a purplish or bluish tinge
(as adjective)gunmetal chiffon

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