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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Derived Forms
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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.
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Sublime Sand’s two- to four-bedroom villas are scattered through the forest and made of wood, glass and zinc, to blend into the landscape.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Indium is a byproduct of zinc smelting, so how much gets recovered depends on zinc economics, not on laser demand.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026
It involves inserting electrodes made of materials such as zinc and copper into substances that contain moisture or ions, and then collecting the small but steady electrical currents.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
She said some designers are now innovating fabrics with zinc oxide to make the material feel cooler to the touch.
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
We needed money, I said, to buy zinc dust.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
"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
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
Commercial zincs, for use in voltaic cells as now manufactured, Page 98 usually have about 4 per cent of mercury added to the molten zinc before casting into the form of plates or rods.
From Cyclopedia of Telephony & Telegraphy Vol. 1 A General Reference Work on Telephony, etc. etc. by Kempster Miller
This is, perhaps, the best mode of amalgamating cast zincs.
From Electric Bells and All About Them A Practical Book for Practical Men by S. R. Bottone
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.
