metallic

[ muh-tal-ik ]
See synonyms for metallic on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. of, relating to, or consisting of metal.

  2. of the nature of or suggesting metal, as in luster, resonance, or hardness: metallic green; a harsh metallic sound.

  1. Chemistry.

    • (of a metal element) being in the free or uncombined state: metallic iron.

    • containing or yielding metal.

noun
  1. Textiles.

    • a yarn or fiber made partly or entirely of metal and having a metallic appearance.

    • a fabric made of such a yarn or fiber.

Origin of metallic

1
1560–70; <Latin metallicus<Greek metallikós of, for mines. See metal, -ic

Other words from metallic

  • me·tal·li·cal·ly, adverb
  • met·al·lic·i·ty [met-l-is-i-tee], /ˌmɛt lˈɪs ɪ ti/, met·al·le·i·ty [met-l-ee-i-tee], /ˌmɛt lˈi ɪ ti/, noun
  • in·ter·me·tal·lic, adjective
  • mul·ti·me·tal·lic, adjective
  • sem·i·me·tal·lic, adjective
  • un·me·tal·lic, adjective
  • un·me·tal·li·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for metallic

metallic

/ (mɪˈtælɪk) /


adjective
  1. of, concerned with, or consisting of metal or a metal

  2. suggestive of a metal: a metallic click; metallic lustre

  1. chem (of a metal element) existing in the free state rather than in combination: metallic copper

Derived forms of metallic

  • metallically, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for metallic

metallic

[ mĭ-tălĭk ]


  1. Relating to or having the characteristics of a metal.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.