zinc
Americannoun
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zincs
plural
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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.
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a piece of this metal used as an element in a voltaic cell.
verb (used with object)
noun
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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
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informal corrugated galvanized iron
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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.
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See Periodic Table
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Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of zinc
1635–45; < German Zink, perhaps derivative of Zinke ( n ) prong, tine, from the spikelike form it takes in a furnace
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Explanation
Zinc is a type of metal that's used to make brass. Zinc is also present in some of the food we eat, and it's important for helping our bodies fight off bad bacteria and viruses. In its basic form, zinc is a brittle, bluish-white metal. Along with copper, it's used to make the brass for light fixtures, doorknobs, and tools, among many other things. Pennies contain zinc too — since 1982, they contain 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper. There's also zinc in our bodies, and in food including shellfish, meat, and seeds. The word zinc is believed to come from the German Zinke, "point," in reference to the spiked shape of a zinc crystal.
Vocabulary lists containing zinc
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:
He explains that we need micronutrients like zinc, calcium and magnesium, which are found in whole foods.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
"Waste stored since the communist era or produced by current factories contains chromium, nickel and zinc," Mehmeti said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
The price level rose until the coin could no longer buy anything, at which point minting it became a charitable donation to the zinc industry.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
She wrote in her report that “heavy metals, notably lead, zinc, copper, chromium, arsenic, and antimony, were detected above laboratory reporting limits.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
Below us Toronto festers in the evening heat, the trees spreading like worn moss, the lake zinc in the distance.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
"Parisian zincs are the ideal theater of the comedy of man," observes the weekly L'Express.
From Time Magazine Archive
Even the best zincs will not provide full protection if they're not installed correctly and replaced in a timely fashion.
From Time Magazine Archive
This sets up a "short circuit," and the zincs are consumed whether the battery is in action or not.
From Electric Bells and All About Them A Practical Book for Practical Men by S. R. Bottone
While the proprietors of the adjacent wine-shops and "zincs" grumbled at the new order of things, the young people were making the best of Mardi Gras in hilarious fashion.
From Mlle. Fouchette A Novel of French Life by Charles Theodore Murray
The axis, M, of the jack, on revolving, carries along a crank, MD, to which is fixed a connecting-rod, A, whose other extremity is attached to the horizontal beam that supports the zincs and counterpoises.
From Scientific American Supplement, No. 447, July 26, 1884 by Various
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