English Online Dictionary. What means zinc? What does zinc mean?
English
Alternative forms
- zinke, zink (both obsolete)
Etymology
Borrowed from German Zink, related to Zinke (“point, prong”), from Middle High German zinke, from Old High German zinko (“prong, tine”), allied to zint (“a jag, point”), from Proto-Germanic *tindaz (“prong, pinnacle”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃dónts (“tooth, projection”). Cognate with Old English tind (“tine, prong”), Middle Low German tinde, Icelandic tindur (“spike, tooth of a rake or harrow, pinnacle, peak, battlement”). See also Dutch tinne (“battlement”), German Zinne (“pinnacle, battlement”), Danish tinde (“pinnacle, battlement”), Swedish tinne (“tooth of a rake”), More at tine. Doublet of zincum.
Pronunciation
- (US) enPR: zingk, IPA(key): /zɪŋk/
- Rhymes: -ɪŋk
Noun
zinc (countable and uncountable, plural zincs)
- A chemical element (symbol Zn) with an atomic number of 30, a blue-silvery metal that is slightly brittle at room temperature and tarnishes slightly in moist air.
- (countable) A single atom of this element.
- (Nigeria) A corrugated iron roof.
- (UK, dated, colloquial) A zinc countertop.
Synonyms
- zincum (archaic)
Derived terms
Related terms
- zincode
- zincous
Translations
See also
Verb
zinc (third-person singular simple present zincs, present participle zincing or zinking or zincking, simple past and past participle zinced or zinked or zincked)
- (rare) To electroplate with zinc.
- (rare) To coat with sunblock incorporating zinc oxide.
Synonyms
- (electroplate with zinc): galvanize
Translations
Anagrams
- ICZN
Catalan
Etymology
Borrowed from French zinc, from German Zink.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): (Central) [ˈziŋ]
- IPA(key): (Balearic, Valencia) [ˈziŋk]
Noun
zinc m (uncountable)
- zinc
Derived terms
- zincar
Further reading
- “zinc” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “zinc”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
- “zinc” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
- “zinc” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
French
Etymology 1
Borrowed from German Zink.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /zɛ̃ɡ/, /zɛ̃k/
- Both pronunciations are standard. While that with /ɡ/ is traditionally preferred, that with /k/ is reinforced by the spelling.
Noun
zinc m (plural zincs)
- (metallurgy, chemistry) zinc
- (informal) counter (in a bar, café, etc), bar
- (informal) small plane
Related terms
Further reading
- “zinc”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Etymology 2
Clipping of zincou, verlan form of cousin (“cousin”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /zɛ̃k/
Noun
zinc m (plural zincs)
- (Verlan) dude, man
Occitan
Pronunciation
Noun
zinc m (uncountable)
- zinc
Romanian
Etymology
Borrowed from French zinc, from German Zink.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /zink/
Noun
zinc n (uncountable)
- zinc (metal)
Declension
References
- zinc in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)
Spanish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): (Spain) /ˈθink/ [ˈθĩŋk]
- IPA(key): (Latin America, Philippines) /ˈsink/ [ˈsĩŋk]
- Rhymes: -ink
- Syllabification: zinc
Noun
zinc m (uncountable)
- Alternative spelling of cinc
Further reading
- “zinc”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10