ENGLISH
REFERENCE

nickel

n. · v. · adj.
US //ˈnɪkəɫ// UK //nˈɪkəl// nick·el
  1. 1 the metal (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Science

    a hard, silver-white metal often used to make coins or to coat other metals.

    a silvery-white, lustrous metallic element (atomic number 28) used primarily in alloys and electroplating.

    Example

    The door handle is made of steel with a thin coating of nickel.

    Example

    The geologist identified a high concentration of nickel in the ore samples, suggesting the site might be viable for commercial mining.
    • ni
  2. 2 a 5-cent coin (n.)
    A2 Elementary American English

    a coin used in the United States and Canada that is worth five cents.

    a five-cent coin in the United States and Canada, typically composed of a copper-nickel alloy.

    Example

    I found a nickel and three pennies at the bottom of my bag.

    Example

    The child carefully counted out four nickels to pay for the candy, proud to use his own pocket money for the purchase.
    • five cent piece
Show 3 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 five of something (n.)
    C1 Advanced Slang American English

    a slang word for five, such as a five-year prison sentence or five dollars.

    a slang term representing the number five, commonly applied to currency amounts or durations of time.

    Example

    He just finished serving a nickel for his role in the robbery.

    Example

    In certain street dialects, asking for a nickel might refer to five dollars or even five hundred, depending entirely on the immediate social context.
  2. 4 to coat with metal (v.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Technical

    to cover a metal object with a thin layer of nickel.

    to plate or coat a surface with nickel, usually through an electrolytic process.

    Example

    The factory nickels the car parts to prevent them from rusting.

    Example

    The restoration expert decided to nickel the original brass fittings to match the aesthetic of the early twentieth-century interior.
  3. 5 cheap (adj.)
    C1 Advanced American English Informal

    describing something that is very cheap or of low quality.

    denoting something of little value or low cost; often used in the compound 'nickel-and-dime'.

    Example

    I don't want to buy some nickel watch that breaks in a week.

    Example

    The critic dismissed the production as a nickel opera, citing the poor set design and lack of rehearsal time.
Origin

Borrowed from German Nickel, first used in a text by the Swedish mineralogist Axel F. Cronstedt as an abbreviation of Kupfernickel (“a mineral containing copper and nickel”), from Kupfer (“copper”) + Nickel (“insignificant person, goblin”), originally nickname of Nikolaus (“Nicholas”), due to the deceptive silver colour of the relatively valueless ore. Compare cobalt as related to kobolds.

Word family
Idioms4 entries

© 2026 English Reference