base metal
noun
Simple meaning
Something that was hoped to be transmuted into a precious metal.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
baysmuhtuhlSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈbeɪsmɛtəl
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
chiefly alchemy
One that was hoped to be transmuted into a precious metal.
A metal that is common and not considered precious
A common or inexpensive metal.
metallurgy
The metal to be welded (rather than that used to weld).
electrochemistry
Any metal at the lower end of the electrochemical series that oxidizes readily.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
This meaning: One that was hoped to be transmuted into a precious metal.
Used this way, base metal is a reasonably familiar word with a mildly favourable edge. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Slightly positive
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Moderate
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Positive and appreciative
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.