heavy metal
Americannoun
-
heavy metals
plural
-
any metal with a specific gravity of 5.0 or greater, especially one that is toxic to organisms, as lead, mercury, copper, and cadmium.
-
aggressive and heavily amplified rock music, commonly performed by groups that wear spectacular or bizarre costumes.
noun
-
-
a type of rock music characterized by a strong beat and amplified instrumental effects, sometimes with violent, or nihilistic lyrics
-
( as modifier )
a heavy-metal band
-
-
a metal with a high specific gravity
-
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.
Uranium, a radioactive heavy metal, is typically locked inside minerals in soil.
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
She said certain samples she’s worked on with Metabolic Studio have gone from testing at high heavy metal levels to nearly contaminant-free.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
As part of the foundation's work, the heavy metal veterans also collaborated with the Welsh Blood Service ahead of their Principality Stadium gig to encourage fans to donate blood and plasma.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
Fred felt a muggy blast as someone shoved open the heavy metal door to the kennel building.
From "Dog Squad" 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.
