zinc
- pronunciation:
- zIngk
- parts of speech:
- noun, transitive verb
- features:
- Word History, Word Explorer
| part of speech: |
noun |
| definition: |
a chemical element that has thirty protons in each nucleus and that occurs in pure form as a bluish white corrosion-resistant metal that is brittle at room temperature but becomes malleable when heated, used in a variety of alloys and in electrical devices. (symbol: Zn)
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| part of speech: |
transitive verb |
| inflections: |
zinced, zincing, zincked, zincking, zincs. |
| definition: |
to cover or coat (iron or steel) with zinc to retard rusting; galvanize.
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Zinc comes from a German word that means "point or spike." When zinc is cooled after heating it looks like spikes.