metallic

American  

[muh-tal-ik] / məˈtæl ɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or consisting of metal.

2. of the nature of or suggesting metal, as in luster, resonance, or hardness.

   metallic green; a harsh metallic sound.

3. Chemistry.

   1. (of a metal element) being in the free or uncombined state.

      metallic iron.

   2. containing or yielding metal.

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noun

1. Textiles.

   1. a yarn or fiber made partly or entirely of metal and having a metallic appearance.

   2. a fabric made of such a yarn or fiber.

metallic British  

/ mɪˈtælɪk /

adjective

1. of, concerned with, or consisting of metal or a metal

2. suggestive of a metal

   a metallic click

   metallic lustre

3. chem (of a metal element) existing in the free state rather than in combination

   metallic copper

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metallic Scientific  

/ mĭ-tăl′ĭk /

1. Relating to or having the characteristics of a metal.

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Other Word Forms

• intermetallic adjective
• metalleity noun
• metallically adverb
• metallicity noun
• multimetallic adjective
• semimetallic adjective
• unmetallic adjective
• unmetallically adverb

Etymology

Origin of metallic

1560–70; < Latin metallicus < Greek metallikós of, for mines. See metal, -ic

Example Sentences

The drive-in directly in front of him featured a large metallic awning— light brown and yellow with green trim.

From Literature

Then came the thing Gingersnipes was talking about—the sharp, metallic scent of skin.

From Literature

The iPod music player, at first available in metallic grey, quickly diversified into a whole spectrum of bright colours.

From Barron's

Earlier attempts to solve this problem involved adding conductive materials such as carbon nanotubes or metallic particles to nail polish.

From Science Daily

According to the researchers, these spinning crystals represent the first known example of a self-propelled metallic nanoparticle in biology.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• golden
• silvery