- 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
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
zinc•ous
(zing′kəs),USA pronunciation adj.
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026- Chemistryzincic.
- zinc + -ous 1835–45
zinc /zɪŋk/USA pronunciation
n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Chemistry[uncountable] a bluish-white metallic element, used in making galvanized iron, brass, and other materials and as an element in voltaic cells.
zinc
(zingk),USA pronunciation
n., v., zincked or zinced
(zingkt),USA pronunciation zinck•ing or zinc•ing
n.
v.t.
zinck′y, zinc′y, zink′y, adj.
zinc′oid, adj.
-
(zing′king).USA pronunciation
n.
- Chemistrya ductile, bluish-white metallic element: used in making galvanized iron, brass, and other alloys, and as an element in voltaic cells. Symbol: Zn;
at. wt.: 65.37;
at. no.: 30;
sp. gr.: 7.14 at 20°C. - Electricitya piece of this metal used as an element in a voltaic cell.
v.t.
- to coat or cover with zinc.
- German Zink, perh. derivative of Zinke(n) prong, tine, from the spikelike form it takes in a furnace
- 1635–45
zinc′oid, adj.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
zinc /zɪŋk/ n