[med-l] 
noun, verb, -aled, -al⋅ing or (especially British
) -alled, -al⋅ling.| 1. | a flat piece of metal, often a disk but sometimes a cross, star, or other form, usually bearing an inscription or design, issued to commemorate a person, action, or event, or given as a reward for bravery, merit, or the like: a gold medal for the best swimmer. |
| 2. | a similar object bearing a religious image, as of a saint: a Saint Christopher's medal. |
| 3. | to decorate or honor with a medal. |
| 4. | to receive a medal, esp. in a sporting event: He medaled in three of four races. |
| med·al (měd'l) n.
v. intr. To win a medal, as in a sports contest: "We were the first Americans to medal" (Jill Watson). v. tr. To award a medal to. [French médaille, from Old French, from Italian medaglia, coin worth half a denarius, medal, from Vulgar Latin *medālia, coins worth half a denarius, from Late Latin mediālia, little halves, from neuter pl. of mediālis, of the middle, medial; see medial.] me·dal'lic (mə-dāl'ĭk) adj. |