The word metallic is spelled with seven letters and pronounced as /məˈtæl.ɪk/. The first syllable is unstressed and has a schwa sound. The following two letters, "t" and "a," have an unstressed /ə/ sound. The stress falls on the second syllable "lic," which has a long "e" sound /i/. The spelling "lic" is derived from the Latin word "licere," meaning "to shine." Metallic is commonly used to refer to substances such as gold or silver, that have a shiny or reflective appearance.
Metallic is an adjective that describes something that is related to or resembles metal. This term is typically used to depict the appearance, characteristics, or properties of substances associated with metal. Metallic can refer to the texture, shine, color, or conductivity of an object or material.
In terms of appearance, metallic describes objects or surfaces that have a lustrous, shiny, or reflective quality, similar to that of metals. This characteristic is often seen in metallic paints, which add a shimmering effect to surfaces. When it comes to colors, metallic hues are typically rich and shiny, resembling the appearance of metals like gold, silver, bronze, or copper.
Moreover, metallic can also describe the physical properties of substances. For example, metallic conductivity refers to the ability of certain materials to conduct electricity or heat efficiently, such as copper or aluminum. This is in contrast to non-metallic substances, which have poor or no conductivity.
In summary, the term metallic pertains to objects or materials that possess qualities associated with metals, including their appearance, shine, colors, or conductivity. It is a versatile term used to describe various aspects relating to metals or materials resembling them.
Pert. to metals; like a metal; consisting of metal; metal-refiner, a smelter of ores; one who separates copper, lead, or other metal, from the dross or refuse with which it is mixed; the perfect metals, those which are not easily oxidised, as platinum, gold, and silver; the base or imperfect metals, those which readily combine with oxygen, as iron, lead, copper, tin, and zinc.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "metallic" originated from the Latin word "metallicus", which in turn was derived from the Latin word "metallum", meaning "metal". The Latin word "metallum" was borrowed from the Greek word "metallon", also meaning "metal". The term "metallic" came into English usage around the early 17th century.