Word
aluminum
Phoneticsalu·minum
/əˈɫumənəm/
UK spelling · aluminium
Definition
n. a light, silver-colored metal that is used to make things like soda cans and kitchen foil. It is very common because it does not rust easily.
n. a lightweight, silvery-white metallic element noted for its low density and resistance to corrosion. This spelling is standard in American and Canadian English.
Examples
“The soda comes in an aluminum can.”
“Many modern bicycle frames are made from aluminum because it is much lighter than steel.”
“The aerospace industry relies heavily on aluminum alloys to construct aircraft fuselages that are both structurally sound and light enough for fuel-efficient flight.”
Examples
simple
“The soda comes in an aluminum can.”
contextual
“Many modern bicycle frames are made from aluminum because it is much lighter than steel.”
complex
“The aerospace industry relies heavily on aluminum alloys to construct aircraft fuselages that are both structurally sound and light enough for fuel-efficient flight.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the metal as a material; can be countable when referring to specific industrial alloys.
Pitfall
an aluminium foil
aluminum foil
When used as a material name, it is uncountable and does not take an indefinite article.
Etymology
Coined by British chemist Humphry Davy in 1812, after the earlier 1807 New Latin form alumium. By surface analysis, Latin alumen + -um
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/aluminum