gunmetal

or gun met·al

[ guhn-met-l ]
/ ˈgʌnˌmɛt l /

noun

any of various alloys or metallic substances with a dark gray or blackish color or finish, used for chains, belt buckles, etc.
Also called gunmetal gray. a dark gray with bluish or purplish tinge.
a bronze formerly much used for cannon.
an alloy of 88 percent copper, 10 percent tin, and 2 percent zinc, cast or machined for use in valves, gears, and other parts.

Origin of gunmetal

First recorded in 1535–45; gun1 + metal

Words nearby gunmetal

Example sentences from the Web for gun-metal

British Dictionary definitions for gun-metal

gunmetal
/ (ˈɡʌnˌmɛtəl) /

noun

a type of bronze containing copper (88 per cent), tin (8–10 per cent), and zinc (2–4 per cent): used for parts that are subject to wear or to corrosion, esp by sea water
any of various dark grey metals used for toys, belt buckles, etc
  1. a dark grey colour with a purplish or bluish tinge
  2. (as adjective)gunmetal chiffon