¹zinc

noun, often attributive \ˈziŋk\

: a bluish-white metal that is very common and is used especially to make brass and as a protective coating for things made of iron and steel

Full Definition of ZINC

: a bluish-white metallic element that is ductile when pure but in the commercial form is brittle at ordinary temperatures and becomes ductile on slight heating, occurs abundantly in minerals, is an essential micronutrient for both plants and animals, and is used especially in alloys and as a protective coating in galvanizing iron and steel — see element table

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Origin of ZINC

German Zink

First Known Use: 1651

Rhymes with ZINC

blink, brink, chink, clink, dink, drink, fink, gink, ink, jink, kink, link, mink, pink, plink, prink, rink, shrink, sink, skink, slink, stink, swink, sync, think, wink

²zinc

verb

zinced or zincked \ˈziŋ(k)t\ zinc·ing or zinck·ing \ˈziŋ-kiŋ\

Definition of ZINC

transitive verb

: to treat or coat with zinc : galvanize

First Known Use of ZINC

1841

ZINC Defined for Kids

zinc

noun \ˈziŋk\

Definition of ZINC for Kids

: a bluish white metal that tarnishes only slightly in moist air and is used mostly to make alloys and to give iron and steel a protective coating

Medical Dictionary

zinc

noun \ˈziŋk\

Medical Definition of ZINC

: a bluish white crystalline bivalent metallic element of low to intermediate hardness that is an essential micronutrient for both plants and animals—symbol Zn; see element table