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zinc - 8 dictionary results
zinc
[zingk] 
,noun, verb, zincked or zinced [zingkt] , zinck⋅ing or zinc⋅ing [zing-king] .–noun
| 1. | Chemistry. a ductile, bluish-white metallic element: used in making galvanized iron, brass, and other alloys, and as an element in voltaic cells. Symbol: Zn; atomic weight: 65.37; atomic number: 30; specific gravity: 7.14 at 20°C. |
| 2. | a piece of this metal used as an element in a voltaic cell. |
–verb (used with object)
| 3. | to coat or cover with zinc. |
Origin:
1635–45; < G Zink, perh. deriv. of Zinke(n) prong, tine, from the spikelike form it takes in a furnace
1635–45; < G Zink, perh. deriv. of Zinke(n) prong, tine, from the spikelike form it takes in a furnace
Related forms:
zincky, zincy, zinky, adjective
zincoid, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To zinc
| zinc (zĭngk) n. Symbol Zn A bluish-white, lustrous metallic element that is brittle at room temperature but malleable with heating. It is used to form a wide variety of alloys including brass, bronze, various solders, and nickel silver, in galvanizing iron and other metals, for electric fuses, anodes, and meter cases, and in roofing, gutters, and various household objects. Atomic number 30; atomic weight 65.39; melting point 419.4°C; boiling point 907°C; specific gravity 7.133 (25°C); valence 2. See Table at element. tr.v. zinced or zincked, zinc·ing or zinck·ing, zincs or zincks To coat or treat with zinc; galvanize. [German Zink, possibly from Zinke, spike (so called because it becomes jagged in the furnace), from Middle High German zinke, from Old High German zinko.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Zinc
Zinc\ (z[i^][ng]k), n. [G. zink, probably akin to zinn tin: cf. F. zinc, from the German. Cf. Tin.] (Chem.) An abundant element of the magnesium-cadmium group, extracted principally from the minerals zinc blende, smithsonite, calamine, and franklinite, as an easily fusible bluish white metal, which is malleable, especially when heated. It is not easily oxidized in moist air, and hence is used for sheeting, coating galvanized iron, etc. It is used in making brass, britannia, and other alloys, and is also largely consumed in electric batteries. Symbol Zn. Atomic weight 64.9. [Formerly written also zink.] Butter of zinc (Old Chem.), zinc chloride, ZnCl2, a deliquescent white waxy or oily substance. Oxide of zinc. (Chem.) See Zinc oxide, below. Zinc amine (Chem.), a white amorphous substance, Zn(NH2)2, obtained by the action of ammonia on zinc ethyl; -- called also zinc amide. Zinc amyle (Chem.), a colorless, transparent liquid, composed of zinc and amyle, which, when exposed to the atmosphere, emits fumes, and absorbs oxygen with rapidity. Zinc blende [cf. G. zinkblende] (Min.), a native zinc sulphide. See Blende, n. (a) . Zinc bloom [cf. G. zinkblumen flowers of zinc, oxide of zinc] (Min.), hydrous carbonate of zinc, usually occurring in white earthy incrustations; -- called also hydrozincite. Zinc ethyl (Chem.), a colorless, transparent, poisonous liquid, composed of zinc and ethyl, which takes fire spontaneously on exposure to the atmosphere. Zinc green, a green pigment consisting of zinc and cobalt oxides; -- called also Rinmann's green. Zinc methyl (Chem.), a colorless mobile liquid Zn(CH3)2, produced by the action of methyl iodide on a zinc sodium alloy. It has a disagreeable odor, and is spontaneously inflammable in the air. It has been of great importance in the synthesis of organic compounds, and is the type of a large series of similar compounds, as zinc ethyl, zinc amyle, etc. Zinc oxide (Chem.), the oxide of zinc, ZnO, forming a light fluffy sublimate when zinc is burned; -- called also flowers of zinc, philosopher's wool, nihil album, etc. The impure oxide produced by burning the metal, roasting its ores, or in melting brass, is called also pompholyx, and tutty. Zinc spinel (Min.), a mineral, related to spinel, consisting essentially of the oxides of zinc and aluminium; gahnite. Zinc vitriol (Chem.), zinc sulphate. See White vitriol, under Vitriol. Zinc white, a white powder consisting of zinc oxide, used as a pigment.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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zinc
1651, from Ger. Zink, perhaps related to Zinke "prong, point;" said to have been used first by Paracelsus (c.1526) on analogy of the form of its crystals after smelting. Zinke is from O.H.G. zint "a point, jag," from P.Gmc. *tindja "tine" (cf. O.N. tindr "point, top, summit," O.E. tind "prong, spike;" cf. tine).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: zinc
Pronunciation: 'zi[ng]k
Function: noun
: a bluish white crystalline bivalent metallic element of low to intermediate hardness that is anessential micronutrient for both plants and animals —symbol Zn; —see ELEMENT table
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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zinc (zĭngk)
n.
Symbol Zn
A metallic element that is brittle at room temperature but becomes malleable when heated. Atomic number 30; atomic weight 65.39; melting point 419.5°C; boiling point 907°C; specific gravity 7.133 (25°C); valence 2.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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| zinc (zĭngk) Pronunciation Key
Symbol Zn A shiny, bluish-white metallic element that is brittle at room temperature but is malleable when heated. It is used in alloys such as brass and bronze, as a coating for iron and steel, and in various household objects. Zinc is essential to human and animal growth. Atomic number 30; atomic weight 65.39; melting point 419.4°C; boiling point 907°C; specific gravity 7.133 (25°C); valence 2. See Periodic Table. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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