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.
The mother-of-two, married to an economics professor with a ponytail, is a fan of heavy metal band System of a Down and held a "Sex and the City"-themed party for her 40th birthday.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026
Rabanne, which has built an entire brand and silhouette around heavy metal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
"There are bacteria that can metabolically utilize the heavy metal, uranium, which is toxic for humans," says Dr. Evelyn Krawczyk-Bärsch, scientist in HZDR's Terrestrial Microbiology research group and co-author of the study.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
“Our team is continuing to interpret these findings alongside some additional specialized testing, which also includes further heavy metal testing that remains pending,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
The gloom makes it hard to see the heavy metal doors at the end of the bunker.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
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.
