metal
n. C / Un. a hard, shiny material like gold, iron, or silver that can carry heat and electricity. You use it to make things like cars, coins, and tools.
n. a solid material that is typically hard, shiny, malleable, fusible, and ductile, with good electrical and thermal conductivity. In astronomy, it refers to any element heavier than hydrogen or helium.
The gate is made of heavy metal.
Construction workers use recycled metal to reinforce the foundations of the new office building.
The industrial revolution was driven by advancements in the extraction and processing of metal, which allowed for the mass production of machinery and infrastructure.
From Middle English metal, a borrowing from Old French metal, from Latin metallum (“metal, mine, quarry, mineral”), itself a borrowing from Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon, “mine, quarry, metal”).
Uncountable when referring to the substance in general; countable when referring to specific chemical types or alloys.