zinc
Americannoun
-
Chemistry. a ductile, bluish-white metallic element: used in making galvanized iron, brass, and other alloys, and as an element in voltaic cells. Zn; 65.37; 30; 7.14 at 20°C.
-
a piece of this metal used as an element in a voltaic cell.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a brittle bluish-white metallic element that becomes coated with a corrosion-resistant layer in moist air and occurs chiefly in sphalerite and smithsonite. It is a constituent of several alloys, esp brass and nickel-silver, and is used in die-casting, galvanizing metals, and in battery electrodes. Symbol: Zn; atomic no: 30; atomic wt: 65.39; valency: 2; relative density: 7.133; melting pt: 419.58°C; boiling pt: 907°C
-
informal corrugated galvanized iron
-
A shiny, bluish-white metallic element that is brittle at room temperature but is malleable when heated. It is used in alloys such as brass and bronze, as a coating for iron and steel, and in various household objects. Zinc is essential to human and animal growth. Atomic number 30; atomic weight 65.39; melting point 419.4°C; boiling point 907°C; specific gravity 7.133 (25°C); valence 2.
-
See Periodic Table
Other Word Forms
- zincic adjective
- zincky adjective
- zincoid adjective
- zincy adjective
- zinky adjective
Etymology
Origin of zinc
1635–45; < German Zink, perhaps derivative of Zinke ( n ) prong, tine, from the spikelike form it takes in a furnace
Compare meaning
How does zinc compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
More than 20 containers of radioactive zinc stranded in Manila Bay for months have been brought ashore to a "safe place", the country's nuclear research director told AFP on Wednesday.
From Barron's
The antenna responsible for transmitting the signal is made of zinc and embedded within a cellulose particle.
From Science Daily
It comes out of the ground attached to copper, lead, zinc and gold.
From MarketWatch
Critical mineral byproducts are elements that occur naturally alongside metals like copper, gold, zinc, or nickel.
From Science Daily
Silver often comes out of the ground these days as a byproduct of mining for other metals, such as copper, gold and zinc.
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.
