gunmetal

or gun met·al

[ guhn-met-l ]

/ ˈgʌnˌmɛt l /

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.

Nearby words

gunk hole, gunky, gunlock, gunmaker, gunman, gunmetal, gunn, gunn effect, gunn's dot, gunn's sign, gunnar

Origin of gunmetal

First recorded in 1535–45; gun¹ + metal

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for gun-metal

And all the guns I ever saw had that bluish look, as gun-metal has.
The Boy With the U.S. Census|Francis Rolt-Wheeler
Iron ladders were fixed for landing, and by a gun-metal ladder we were able to reach the entrance port.
A Yacht Voyage Round England|W.H.G. Kingston
It sparkled like gun-metal in the rocks, floated in suspension in the green water.
The Tower of Oblivion|Oliver Onions
She held him with her soft arms and twiddled the gun-metal buttons of his blouse.
We Can't Have Everything|Rupert Hughes

When we got to Paris, there seemed to be an epidemic of gun-metal ornaments set with tiny pearls, diamonds, or sapphires.
Abroad with the Jimmies|Lilian Bell

British Dictionary definitions for gun-metal

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