gunmetal
or gun met·al
[guhn-met-l]
- 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
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for gun-metal
Historical Examples of gun-metal
This was the first thing he ever gave her—his boy's offering—the gun-metal wrist-watch.
AthalieRobert W. Chambers
The astragals are of gun-metal and the pedestal of cast iron.
Hinges of brass or gun-metal are used in special circumstances.
She held him with her soft arms and twiddled the gun-metal buttons of his blouse.
We Can't Have EverythingRupert Hughes
Another method of shaping a crucible consists in ramming the ingredients into a suitable mould, formed of steel or gun-metal.
gunmetal
- 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
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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
Word Origin and History for gun-metal
commonly an alloy of copper and zinc; used attributively of a dull blue-gray color since 1905.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper