nickel

American  

[nik-uhl] / ˈnɪk əl /

noun

1. 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.

2. a cupronickel coin of the U.S., the 20th part of a dollar, equal to five cents.

3. a nickel coin of Canada, the 20th part of a dollar, equal to five cents.

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verb (used with object)

nickeled, nickeling, nickelled, nickelling

1. to cover or coat with nickel; nickel-plate.

adjective

1. Slang. costing or worth five dollars.

   a nickel bag of heroin.

nickel British  

/ ˈnɪkəl /

noun

1. 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

2. a US and Canadian coin and monetary unit worth five cents

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verb

1. (tr) to plate with nickel

nickel Scientific  

/ nĭk′əl /

1. 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.

2. See Periodic Table

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nickel Idioms  

1. see not worth a dime (plugged nickel).

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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.

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. 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.

Example Sentences

This means you have to wait until January 2027 before you see an extra nickel in compensation for the higher prices you are paying now.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

Concentrations of beryllium, copper, chromium, nickel and lead in particular were significantly above established safety thresholds for marine life, prompting fears for the long-term health of fish, marine mammals and the marine food chain.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026

The group’s goal is to help the U.S. and allied nations secure sources and supply chains for critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, manganese, uranium and copper.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

"We found cadmium, cobalt, copper, zinc, and nickel," she explained.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

Didn’t know why a boy’d toss a nickel, but I figured I’d asked enough already, so I picked up the book, then reread the ending of the story of Dead and his son Icky.

From "Worth" by A. LaFaye