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heavy metal

See more synonyms for heavy metal on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. any metal with a specific gravity of 5.0 or greater, especially one that is toxic to organisms, as lead, mercury, copper, and cadmium.
  2. aggressive and heavily amplified rock music, commonly performed by groups that wear spectacular or bizarre costumes.
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Origin of heavy metal

1860–65, for literal sense
Related formsheav·y-met·al, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

soulraprockmelodypiecesingingtuneoperahymnmodernclassicalsongbopchamberjazzmeasurefusionrefrainairstrain

Examples from the Web for heavy metal

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • The great hydroelectric dams, the hundreds of steam turbines, the heavy-metal atomic reactors—all useless for power purposes.

    Unwise Child

    Gordon Randall Garrett

  • So Orede stayed uninhabited until a hunting-party shooting wild cattle found an outcropping of heavy-metal ore.

    Pariah Planet

    Murray Leinster

  • So Orede stayed uninhabited until a hunting party, shooting wild cattle, found an outcropping of heavy-metal ore.

    This World Is Taboo

    Murray Leinster

British Dictionary definitions for heavy metal

heavy metal

noun
    1. a type of rock music characterized by a strong beat and amplified instrumental effects, sometimes with violent, or nihilistic lyrics
    2. (as modifier)a heavy-metal band
  2. a metal with a high specific gravity
  3. military large guns or shot
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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