¹medal

noun med·al \ˈme-d^əl\

: a piece of metal often in the form of a coin with designs and words in honor of a special event, a person, or an achievement

Full Definition of MEDAL

: a small usually metal object bearing a religious emblem or picture

: a piece of metal often resembling a coin and having a stamped design that is issued to commemorate a person or event or awarded for excellence or achievement

See medal defined for English-language learners

See medal defined for kids

Origin of MEDAL

Middle French medaille, from Old Italian medaglia coin worth half a denarius, medal, from Vulgar Latin *medalis half, alteration of Late Latin medialis middle, from Latin medius — more at mid

First Known Use: circa 1578

Related to MEDAL

Synonyms: medallion, order

Rhymes with MEDAL

heddle, meddle, pedal, peddle, treadle

²medal

verb

: to win a medal

med·aled also med·alledmed·al·ing also med·al·ling \ˈmed-liŋ, ˈme-d^əl-iŋ\

Full Definition of MEDAL

intransitive verb

: to win a medal <medaled in figure skating>

See medal defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of MEDAL

1979

Rhymes with MEDAL

pedal, treadle

MEDAL Defined for Kids

medal

noun med·al \ˈme-d^əl\

Definition of MEDAL for Kids

: a piece of metal often in the form of a coin with design and words in honor of a special event, a person, or an achievement

Headscratcher for MEDAL

The four words medal, meddle, metal, and mettle are often pronounced the same, but they have very different meanings. Here's a sentence that uses them all. “I don't mean to meddle, but did you win that medal made of metal by showing your mettle?”