zinc

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.

• (US) enPR: zingk, IPA^(key): /zɪŋk/

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• Rhymes: -ɪŋk

zinc (countable and uncountable, plural zincs)

1. 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.
2. (countable) A single atom of this element.
3. (Nigeria) A corrugated iron roof.
4. (UK, dated, colloquial) A zinc countertop.
   • 1904, The Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science and Art:

     Then, three workmen throwing dice for drinks. And their heads come sharply together as they count the scores. And so violently do they throw the dice that they shoot off "the zinc" on to the floor.

   • 2010, Chris Ackerley, Demented Particulars, page 44:

     Even if there were a Chef and Brewer near Marble Arch, the name suggests a pint and pie, not a prawn and tomato sandwich and “a dock glass of white port off the zinc”; i.e., a small glass of a fine aperitif, at the counter […]

• zincum (archaic)

• zincode
• zincous

zinc (third-person singular simple present zincs, present participle zincing or zinking or zincking, simple past and past participle zinced or zinked or zincked)

1. (rare) To electroplate with zinc.
2. (rare) To coat with sunblock incorporating zinc oxide.

• (electroplate with zinc): galvanize

• ICZN

Borrowed from French zinc, from German Zink.

• IPA^(key): (Central) [ˈziŋ]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Valencian) [ˈziŋk]

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zinc m (uncountable)

1. zinc

• zincar

• “zinc” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “zinc”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024
• “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.

Borrowed from German Zink.

• IPA^(key): /zɛ̃ɡ/, /zɛ̃k/
• Both pronunciations are standard. While that with /ɡ/ is traditionally preferred, that with /k/ is reinforced by the spelling.

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zinc m (plural zincs)

1. (metallurgy, chemistry) zinc
2. (informal) counter (in a bar, café, etc), bar
   • 1980, “Où c’est qu’j’ai mis mon flingue?”, in Marche à l’ombre, performed by Renaud:

     Moi, mon av’nir est sur le zinc / D’un bistrot des plus cradingues

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

3. (informal) small plane

• “zinc”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Clipping of zincou, verlan form of cousin (“cousin”).

• IPA^(key): /zɛ̃k/

zinc m (plural zincs)

1. (Verlan) dude, man

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zinc m (uncountable)

1. zinc

Borrowed from French zinc, from German Zink.

• IPA^(key): /zink/

zinc n (uncountable)

1. zinc (metal)

• zinc in DEX online—Dicționare ale limbii române (Dictionaries of the Romanian language)

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zinc m (uncountable)

1. Alternative spelling of cinc

• “zinc”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014