zinc

[ zingk ]
/ zɪŋk /

noun

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.
a piece of this metal used as an element in a voltaic cell.

verb (used with object), zincked or zinced [zingkt] /zɪŋkt/, zinck·ing or zinc·ing [zing-king] /ˈzɪŋ kɪŋ/.

to coat or cover with zinc.

Origin of zinc

1635–45; < German Zink, perhaps derivative of Zinke(n) prong, tine, from the spikelike form it takes in a furnace

OTHER WORDS FROM zinc

zinck·y, zinc·y, zink·y, adjective zinc·oid, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for zinc

British Dictionary definitions for zinc

zinc
/ (zɪŋk) /

noun

a brittle bluish-white metallic element that becomes coated with a corrosion-resistant layer in moist air and occurs chiefly in sphalerite and smithsonite. It is a constituent of several alloys, esp brass and nickel-silver, and is used in die-casting, galvanizing metals, and in battery electrodes. Symbol: Zn; atomic no: 30; atomic wt: 65.39; valency: 2; relative density: 7.133; melting pt: 419.58°C; boiling pt: 907°C
informal corrugated galvanized iron

Derived forms of zinc

zincic, zincous or zincoid, adjective zincky, zincy or zinky, adjective

Word Origin for zinc

C17: from German Zink, perhaps from Zinke prong, from its jagged appearance in the furnace

Medical definitions for zinc

zinc
[ zĭngk ]

n. Symbol Zn

A metallic element that is brittle at room temperature but becomes malleable when heated and is used in various pharmaceuticals, including astringents and antiseptics. Atomic number 30.

Scientific definitions for zinc

zinc
[ zĭngk ]

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.