Definition of "zinc" [zinc]

• A bluish-white, lustrous metallic element that is brittle at room temperature but malleable with heating. It is used to form a wide variety of alloys including brass, bronze, various solders, and nickel silver, in galvanizing iron and other metals, for electric fuses, anodes, and meter cases, and in roofing, gutters, and various household objects. Atomic number 30; atomic weight 65.39; melting point 419.4°C; boiling point 907°C; specific gravity 7.133 (25°C); valence 2. See Table at element. (noun)
• To coat or treat with zinc; galvanize. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Being covered in zinc is actually really glamorous."
• "Foods high in zinc include oysters, pork, chicken, cashews, chickpeas and fortified breakfast cereals."
• "The roof is clad in zinc and is cut and folded cleanly to focus views out to the harbor and diagonally to the trees, while at the same time providing a sense of enclosure and privacy."