heavy metal
Americannoun
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heavy metals
plural
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any metal with a specific gravity of 5.0 or greater, especially one that is toxic to organisms, as lead, mercury, copper, and cadmium.
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aggressive and heavily amplified rock music, commonly performed by groups that wear spectacular or bizarre costumes.
noun
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a type of rock music characterized by a strong beat and amplified instrumental effects, sometimes with violent, or nihilistic lyrics
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( as modifier )
a heavy-metal band
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a metal with a high specific gravity
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military large guns or shot
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of heavy metal
1860–65, for literal sense
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Rabanne, which has built an entire brand and silhouette around heavy metal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Uranium, a radioactive heavy metal, is typically locked inside minerals in soil.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
Sharon Osbourne, the widow of heavy metal pioneer Ozzy, has used the first anniversary of his death to tell fans to remember him by playing music "really loud".
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Doing so will increase the likelihood of heavy metal particles, which can carry lung irritants and carcinogens, being spread and inhaled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
In the floor, dug into the rock, was a hole about ten feet across, covered by a heavy metal shield.
From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
