nickel
Americannoun
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nickels
plural
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Chemistry. a hard, silvery-white, ductile and malleable metallic element, allied to iron and cobalt, not readily oxidized: used chiefly in alloys, in electroplating, and as a catalyst in organic synthesis. Ni; 58.71; 28; 8.9 at 20°C.
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a cupronickel coin of the U.S., the 20th part of a dollar, equal to five cents.
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a nickel coin of Canada, the 20th part of a dollar, equal to five cents.
verb (used with object)
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nickels,
present (3rd person singular)
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nickeled,
past participle, past
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nickelled,
past participle, past (especially British)
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nickeling,
present participle
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nickelling
present participle (especially British)
adjective
noun
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a malleable ductile silvery-white metallic element that is strong and corrosion-resistant, occurring principally in pentlandite and niccolite: used in alloys, esp in toughening steel, in electroplating, and as a catalyst in organic synthesis. Symbol: Ni; atomic no: 28; atomic wt: 58.6934; valency: 0, 1, 2, or 3; relative density: 8.902; melting pt: 1455°C; boiling pt: 2914°C
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a US and Canadian coin and monetary unit worth five cents
verb
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A silvery, hard, ductile metallic element that occurs in ores along with iron or magnesium. It resists oxidation and corrosion and is used to make alloys such as stainless steel. It is also used as a coating for other metals. Atomic number 28; atomic weight 58.69; melting point 1,453°C; boiling point 2,732°C; specific gravity 8.902; valence 0, 1, 2, 3.
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See Periodic Table
Usage
What else does nickel mean? Nickel is a slang term for "five" of anything, especially a small bag of drugs costing five dollars or five-year prison sentence.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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nickelsimple
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nickelssimple
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have nickeledperfect
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have nickelledperfect
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has nickeledperfect
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has nickelledperfect
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am nickelingprogressive
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am nickellingprogressive
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are nickelingprogressive
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are nickellingprogressive
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is nickelingprogressive
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is nickellingprogressive
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have been nickelingperfect progressive
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have been nickellingperfect progressive
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has been nickelingperfect progressive
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has been nickellingperfect progressive
Past
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nickeledsimple
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nickelledsimple
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had nickeledperfect
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had nickelledperfect
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was nickelingprogressive
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was nickellingprogressive
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were nickelingprogressive
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were nickellingprogressive
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had been nickelingperfect progressive
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had been nickellingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of nickel
1745–55; < Swedish, abstracted from kopparnickel < German Kupfernickel niccolite, literally, copper demon (so called because though looking like copper it yielded none); Nickel demon, special use of short form of Nikolaus proper name. Cf. Old Nick, pumpernickel
Explanation
A nickel is a five-cent coin that got its name from the metal. Nickel is a silver-colored metal that’s strong and resistant to corrosion, so it’s often blended with other metals. Even the coin is part copper. For most people, a nickel means five cents. The coin is mostly copper, but about 25 percent of it is actually nickel. The word comes from the German Kupfernickel, for “copper demon” because miners were tricked as they first thought the nickel was copper. The original US five cent coins were made of silver, and were known as "half dimes." During the Civil War, new coins began to be minted using less expensive materials — thus, the nickel was born.
Vocabulary lists containing nickel
Pacific Islands - Introductory
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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.
See Examples For:
Canada also has significant reserves of critical minerals like lithium, nickel and graphite.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
Cuba holds significant deposits of cobalt and nickel, which are used in the production of electronics.
From Salon ● Aug. 21, 2026
Despite also having significant potential in cobalt, nickel and manganese, the country continues to struggle with persistent poverty, unemployment and rising food prices.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
However, James is a Swiss Army Knife who often plays nickel, meaning the Chargers need a solidified third safety.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
With my nickel in my hand, I walk right past the pew where we were sitting and keep going, right out the door, down the block, around the corner to the candy store.
From "Betty Before X" by Ilyasah Shabazz and Renée Watson
The chain bundled food with items like character buttons, wooden nickels, hand puppets and drinking glasses.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026
Going from a bulky commercial hydrogen sensor to a smart device about the size of a stack of three nickels was a technical challenge like that of any consumer-health wearable.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
He also thinks the government savings from not producing pennies will be offset by the need for more nickels, which are worth five cents but cost nearly 14 cents to make.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2025
“We don’t take those wooden nickels anymore,” he said.
From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2025
Collecting nickels and dimes from the trades of unthinking investors felt beneath the dignity of a big-time Wall Street bond trader.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
“It’s the fastest way to degrade your loyalty and satisfaction among the people who are traveling with you, because they feel like they’re being nickeled and dimed,” Taylor told me.
From Slate ● May 12, 2026
Marina thought there was inadequate medical oversight, and said the program "nickeled and dimed" her for additional services, like physicians' visits, that she thought would be included.
From Salon ● Feb. 1, 2023
“I can’t think of a worse business – high fixed costs, commodity product, worsening service, alienated customers sick of being nickeled and dimed for every amenity.”
From Reuters ● Sep. 9, 2022
“It does seem people feel they are being nickeled and dimed on paperwork,” Mr. Brown said.
From New York Times ● Nov. 13, 2017
Panoram Kodaks use the regular daylight loading N. C. Kodak film, they are carefully made, have genuine leather coverings and nickeled fittings.
From Kodaks and Kodak Supplies 1914 by Canadian Kodak Company
We sat on high stools at the bar while the barman shook the Martinis in a large nickelled shaker.
From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway
He stepped from the portieres to the safe, and the flashlight played again—this time reflecting back from the glistening nickelled knobs.
From The Adventures of Jimmie Dale by Frank L. (Frank Lucius) Packard
A huge basin full of hot water stood ready under the nickelled faucets.
From Aliens by William McFee
It was brightly lighted by two nickelled lamps; flowers were fastened against the panelling, and clusters of them stood upon the table, which was covered with a spotless cloth.
From The Protector by Harold Bindloss
Pressing plates, plates of metal japanned or nickelled, used for giving finish to the leather on a book.
From Bookbinding, and the Care of Books A handbook for Amateurs, Bookbinders & Librarians by Noel Rooke
“Sometimes it feels like the college is nickeling and diming you,” Kantrowitz said.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 25, 2016
Commercial practice in the matter of the composition of nickelling solutions appears to vary a good deal.
From On Laboratory Arts by Richard Threlfall
One shining in the freshness of new nickelling; the other an old thing of battered tin, with faded gold letters.
From A Top-Floor Idyl by George Van Schaick
The treatment in hot baths of alkali and cyanide is the method generally employed in American factories as a preliminary to the nickelling of small brass work for sewing machines, etc.
From On Laboratory Arts by Richard Threlfall
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.
