heavy metal
Americannoun
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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
- heavy-metal adjective
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.
Deavers now works with undergraduate students in her chemistry lab at Marian University to identify everyday sources of heavy metal exposure and share that information with the community.
From Science Daily • Apr. 2, 2026
Motörhead were the authors of heavy metal anthems including the Ace of Spades.
From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026
When she’s not globetrotting, Stasevska lives in Helsinki with her young daughter and her husband, Lauri Porra — a heavy metal bassist who is also the great-grandson of Sibelius.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026
"Star Trek" legend William Shatner is boldly going where few 94-year-olds have gone before, as the Canadian actor announced plans to release a heavy metal album.
From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026
It took all three of them, and several grunts, to shove open the heavy metal panel.
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
