zinc Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a bluish-white lustrous metallic element; brittle at ordinary temperatures but malleable when heated; used in a wide variety of alloys and in galvanizing iron; it occurs naturally as zinc sulphide in zinc blende
    atomic number 30; Zn.
  2. verb coat or cover with zinc

WordNet

Zinc noun
Etymology
G. zinc, probably akin to zinn tin: cf. F. zinc, from the German. Cf. Tin.
Definitions
  1. (Chem.) An abundant element of the magnesium-cadmium group, extracted principally from the minerals zinc blende, smithsonite, calamine, and franklinite, as an easily fusible bluish white metal, which is malleable, especially when heated. It is not easily oxidized in moist air, and hence is used for sheeting, coating galvanized iron, etc. It is used in making brass, britannia, and other alloys, and is also largely consumed in electric batteries. Symbol Zn. Atomic weight 64.9 Formerly written also zink.
Zinc transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Zincked ∨ Zinced ; present participle & verbal noun Zincking ∨ Zincing
Definitions
  1. To coat with zinc; to galvanize.

Webster 1913