zinc, n.

zinc
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zinc_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
First published 1921; not fully revised

# zincnoun

## Earlier version

- zinc, n. in OED Second Edition (1989)

## Factsheet

### What does the noun zinc mean?

There are four meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun zinc. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

zinc has developed meanings and uses in subjects including

metal industry (mid 1600s) chemistry (mid 1600s) electrical (1870s)

#### Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

### How common is the noun zinc?

About 6occurrences per million words in modern written English

1750 | 0.7
1760 | 1.4
1770 | 3.7
1780 | 5.1
1790 | 6.8
1800 | 6.4
1810 | 6.1
1820 | 5.3
1830 | 6.3
1840 | 8.0
1850 | 10
1860 | 12
1870 | 14
1880 | 15
1890 | 16
1900 | 17
1910 | 17
1920 | 16
1930 | 15
1940 | 14
1950 | 13
1960 | 10
1970 | 8.5
1980 | 7.4
1990 | 6.4
2000 | 5.2
2010 | 4.8

### How is the noun zinc pronounced?

#### British English

/zɪŋk/

#### U.S. English

/zɪŋk/

### Where does the noun zinc come from?

Earliest known use

mid 1600s

The earliest known use of the noun zinc is in the mid 1600s.

OED's earliest evidence for zinc is from 1651, in the writing of John French, physician.

zinc is a borrowing from German.

Etymons: German zink.

### Nearby entries

1. zillionaire, n. 1926–
2. zillionth, n. & adj. 1940–
3. zimb, n. 1790–
4. Zimba, n. 1625–
5. Zimbabwe, n. 1891–
6. Zimbabwean, adj. & n. 1961–
7. zimbel, n. 1888–
8. zimme, n. 1848–63
9. Zimmer, n. 1951–
10. zina, n. 1817–
11. zinc, n.1651–
12. zinc, v. 1843–
13. zinc-air, adj. 1970–
14. Zincala, n. 1844–91
15. Zincalo, n. 1841–
16. zinc-alum, n. 1851–
17. zinc-amide, n. 1859–
18. zincate, n. 1872–
19. zinc-blende, n. 1842–
20. zinc-bloom, n. 1842–
21. zinc chloride, n. 1851–

## Etymology

< German zink (of obscure origin), whence also late 17th cent. French zinc (†zinch, †zin, †zain), Swedish, Danish zink, etc., modern Latin zincum.

## Meaning & use

1. 1. a.
      1651–
      A hard bluish-white metal (commercially known as spelter n.), brittle at ordinary temperatures, but malleable and ductile between 200° and 250°F.; obtained from various ores, esp. the sulphide (blende n.), the carbonate and silicate (calamine n., smithsonite n.), and the red oxide (zincite n.), and used for roofing, for coating or ‘galvanizing’ sheet-iron, and for numerous other purposes; it forms several alloys, of which the best known is that with copper called brass n. Chemical symbol Zn; atomic weight 65.
      1. 1651

         > Any sulphurous, and imperfect metall, as Iron, Copper, or Zinke.

         J. French, Art of Distillation v. 139
      2. ?1734

         > We took six Ounces of Copper, and melting it in a Wind-Furnance, added to it an Ounce of Zink.

         P. Shaw, Chemical Lectures xviii. sig. Bb7
      3. 1813

         > Zinc is one of the most combustible of the common metals.

         H. Davy, Elements of Agricultural Chemistry ii. 42
      4. 1871

         > The metal zinc may be burnt in oxygen.

         J. Tyndall, Fragments of Science (1879) vol. II. xiv. 344
      5. 1878

         > Zinc's uncontrolled Flake-brilliance.

         R. Browning, Poets of Croisic viii
      metal industry chemistry
      1. zinc 1651–
         A hard bluish-white metal (commercially known as spelter, n.), brittle at ordinary temperatures, but malleable and ductile between 200° and 250°F…
      2. spelter 1661–
         Zinc. (Now only Commerce) Also locally applied to various ores.
      3. zingho 1743
         Zinc.
      4. Zn 1814–
         The element zinc.
      View in Historical Thesaurus
      1. zinc 1651–
         A hard bluish-white metal (commercially known as spelter, n.), brittle at ordinary temperatures, but malleable and ductile between 200° and 250°F…
      2. spelter 1661–
         Zinc. (Now only Commerce) Also locally applied to various ores.
      3. zingho 1743
         Zinc.
      View in Historical Thesaurus
   2. b.
      1876–
      (With pl.) A plate of zinc used as the electropositive metal in a voltaic battery. (Cf. zincode n.)
      1. 1876

         > If the zincs are scraped clean and the solution of sal-ammoniac kept up.

         W. H. Preece & J. Sivewright, Telegraphy 29
      electrical
      1. anode 1834–
         strictly, as applied by Faraday: The path by which an electric current leaves the positive pole, and enters the electrolyte, on its way to the…
      2. zincode 1839–
         The positive (zinc) plate (anode) of a voltaic cell.
      3. zincoid 1842–
         = zincode, n.
      4. zinc 1876–
         (With pl.) A plate of zinc used as the electropositive metal in a voltaic battery. (Cf. zincode, n.)
      5. positive 1881–
         The positive terminal, plate, etc., of an electrical cell, battery, or system. Cf. negative, n. II.8.
      View in Historical Thesaurus
   3. c.
      1873–
      Galvanized iron. Chiefly S. Afr. and W. Indies. Cf. zinc roof n..
      1. 1873

         > These hoppers are made of perforated zinc, or wire, the latter being preferable.

         F. Boyle, To Cape for Diamonds xix. 252
      2. 1953

         > Surjue went through a zinc fence—through a hinged zinc sheet in a zinc fence that looked like a solid stretch of iron sheeting down one side of a lane.

         R. Mais, Hills were Joyful Together i. vi. 57
      3. 1973

         > The brazier, zink bath and cooking utensils..were obtained from Coloureds in the area.

         Eastern Province Herald (Port Elizabeth) 23 January
      4. 1977

         > All six members of the cast take turns to strip off and bathe in a zinc bath.

         Daily Express 29 January 7/3
      metal industry
      1. zinc 1873–
         Galvanized iron. Chiefly S. Afr. and W. Indies. Cf. zinc roof, n. below.
      View in Historical Thesaurus
   4. d.
      1914–
      The zinc-covered bar of a café or public house; by metonymy, a café. (A gallicism.)
      1. 1914

         > Elections are made or marred chez le marchand de vin, or, as the Parisians familiarly call him, le mastroquet... The ‘organised democracy marching towards the good of progress and liberty, etc.’..is in reality nothing else than the disorganised and demoralised plebs marching towards the zinc of the mastroquet.

         19th Century February 286
      2. a1936

         > My barmaid..had watched it [sc. evil] across the zinc she was always swabbing off.

         R. Kipling, Something of Myself (1937) iv. 81
      3. 1948

         > We even supplied a little bar with a zinc and a motherly Frenchwoman to look after it.

         W. Fortescue, Beauty for Ashes xx. 148
      4. 1965

         > I..tottered to the nearest zinc, and called for a triple cognac.

         V. Canning, Whip Hand xii. 138
      5. 1979

         > The last of the cafés shut down—it was a laborers' zinc down a back street.

         A. M. Stein, Rolling Heads vi. 103
      1. bar 1592–
         A barrier or counter, over which drink (or food) is served out to customers, in an inn, hotel, or tavern, and hence, in a coffee-house, at a…
      2. bar-board 1715–
      3. bar-counter 1842–
      4. zinc 1914–
         The zinc-covered bar of a café or public house; by metonymy, a café. (A gallicism.)
      View in Historical Thesaurus
      1. teahouse 1662–
         An establishment serving tea and, frequently, light refreshments.
      2. café 1802–
         A coffee-house, a restaurant; strictly a French term, but in the late 19th cent. introduced into the English-speaking countries for the name of…
      3. tea-garden 1802–
         A garden or open-air enclosure, connected with a house of entertainment, where tea and other refreshments are served.
      4. estaminet 1814–
         A café in which smoking is allowed. Now, any small establishment selling alcoholic liquor. Also attributive.
      5. cafeteria 1839–
         A coffee-house; a restaurant, esp. now a self-service restaurant.
      6. coffee palace 1879–
         A large and sumptuous coffee-tavern.
      7. coffee parlour 1894–
      8. zinc 1914–
         The zinc-covered bar of a café or public house; by metonymy, a café. (A gallicism.)
      9. caff 1931–
         = café, n. Also attributive.
      10. pull-in 1938–
          A roadside cafe or refreshment stand. Cf. sense B
      11. transport café 1938–
          A roadside café for lorry-drivers.
      12. pantry 1948–
          With capital initial. A tea room, a cafe, a food bar. Only in the names of particular institutions.
      13. espresso 1949–
          A cafe, bar, etc., where espresso is sold. Cf. compounds C.1b. Now rare.
      14. relais 1957–
          In France: a restaurant or cafe (sometimes also providing overnight accommodation). Cf. relais routier, n.
      15. kayf 1962–
          = café, n.
      16. cannabis cafe 1986–
          A cafe or similar establishment where cannabis is sold, smoked, or consumed.
      17. izakaya 1987–
          A type of Japanese cafe or bar serving alcoholic beverages and a variety of small, typically inexpensive, dishes or snacks.
      18. bing sutt 2001–
          In Hong Kong and other Chinese-speaking contexts: a type of cafe serving a variety of small, typically inexpensive dishes, esp. Chinese-style…
      View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/zɪŋk/

### U.S. English

/zɪŋk/

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛtl/ but /ˈpɛtl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛd(ə)l/ but /ˈpɛdl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

## Forms

### Variant forms

16–18 zink, (16 zinke, 16–17 zinck), 17– zinc.

## Frequency

zinc typically occurs about six times per million words in modern written English.

zinc is in frequency band 5, which contains words occurring between 1 and 10 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands

Frequency data is computed programmatically, and should be regarded as an estimate.

### Frequency of zinc, n., 1750–2010

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.

The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.

For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.

Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.

Decade | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
1750 | 0.7
1760 | 1.4
1770 | 3.7
1780 | 5.1
1790 | 6.8
1800 | 6.4
1810 | 6.1
1820 | 5.3
1830 | 6.3
1840 | 8.0
1850 | 10
1860 | 12
1870 | 14
1880 | 15
1890 | 16
1900 | 17
1910 | 17
1920 | 16
1930 | 15
1940 | 14
1950 | 13
1960 | 10
1970 | 8.5
1980 | 7.4
1990 | 6.4
2000 | 5.2
2010 | 4.8

### Frequency of zinc, n., 2017–2024

* Occurrences per million words in written English

Modern frequency series are derived from a corpus of 20 billion words, covering the period from 2017 to the present. The corpus is mainly compiled from online news sources, and covers all major varieties of World English.

Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the corpus.

Period | Frequency per million words
--- | ---
2017 | 4.0
2018 | 3.7
2019 | 3.3
2020 | 3.5
2021 | 3.6
2022 | 3.4
2023 | 3.4
2024 | 3.5

## Compounds & derived words

Sort by

1. zincy, adj. 1757–
   Relating to or containing zinc; resembling or…

1. zinc spar, n. 1796–
   An old name for native zinc carbonate (=…

1. zincify, v. 1801–
   trans. To coat or impregnate with zinc.

1. zinc wire, n. 1803–

1. zinc-vitriol, n. 1805–
   Sulphate of zinc, white vitriol (R. Jameson Syst…

1. zinc ore, n. 1808–

1. zinc filings, n. 1809–

1. Zn, n. 1814–
   The element zinc.

1. zinciferous, adj. 1820–
   Containing or producing zinc.

1. zinc-plate, n. 1823–
   = zinc-foil, n.

1. zinc amalgam, n. 1839–

1. platinum-zinc, adj. 1840–
   Formed of alternate plates of platinum and zinc…

1. zinc salt, n. 1841–

1. zinc-blende, n. 1842–
   Native zinc sulphide = blende, n.

1. zinc-bloom, n. 1842–
   Hydrous carbonate of zinc, hydrozincite.

1. zincoid, n. 1842–
   = zincode, n.

1. zinc, v. 1843–
   trans. To cover or coat with zinc or some…

1. zinc bath, n. 1843–

1. zinc ointment, n. 1843–

1. zinc gauze, n. 1844–

1. zinc green, n. 1847–
   A mixture of zinc and cobalt oxides used as a pigment.

1. zinc white, n. 1847–
   Oxide of zinc used as a white paint.

1. zinc yellow, n. 1847–
   A greenish-yellow pigment consisting principally…

1. zinc-iron, n. & adj. 1849–
   a. n. An alloy of zinc and iron; b. adj…

1. zinc oxide, n. 1849–

1. perforated zinc, n. 1850–
   Sheet iron or steel made with numerous small…

1. zinc-alum, n. 1851–
   (See quots.).

1. zinc carbonate, n. 1851–

1. zinc chloride, n. 1851–
   A white, crystalline, deliquescent solid, ZnCl2…

1. zinc chromate, n. 1851–
   A toxic, yellow, water-insoluble powder, ZnCrO4…

1. zinc-foil, n. 1851–
   Thin sheet zinc.

1. zinc sulphate, n. 1851–

1. zinc sulphide, n. 1851–
   A yellow, water-insoluble powder, ZnS, used as a…

1. zincite, n. 1854–
   A native oxide of zinc, of a deep-red or…

1. zinc-worker, n. 1858–

1. zinc-amide, n. 1859–
   (See quots.).

1. zinc-plated, adj. 1859–

1. ruby zinc, n. 1862–
   Zincite, or (in later use) sphalerite, of a red…

1. zinc-spinel, n. 1868–
   = gahnite, n. (Dana Min. 1868).

1. zincate, n. 1872–
   A compound which may be regarded as a combination…

1. dezincification, n. 1874–
   The separation of zinc from an… A type of…

1. zinc printing, n. 1875–

1. zinc-dust, n. 1877–
   Zinc in the form of fine powder (often mixed with…

1. zinc furnace, n. 1878–

1. zinc-grey, n. 1881–
   a. Zinc-dust obtained by grinding in oil, used as…

1. zinc-powder, n. 1881–
   = zinc-dust, n.

1. zinc scum, n. 1881–

1. zinc-lined, adj. 1882–

1. zinc dish, n. 1883–

1. zinc roof, n. 1883–
   A corrugated roof of galvanized iron.

1. zinc-covered, adj. 1890–

1. zinc-etching, n. 1890–

1. dezincation, n. 1891–
   The removal or abstraction of zinc from an alloy…

1. zinc chrome, n. 1892–
   = zinc yellow, n. below.

1. zinc lotion, n. 1899–

1. zinc plaster, n. 1899–

1. zinc-roofed, adj. 1899–

1. zinc-sponge, n. 1902–
   (See quot.).

1. zinc sheet, n. 1905–

1. zinc-lining, n. 1912–

1. zinc orange, n. 1918–
   A shade of orange.

1. Zamak, n. 1926–
   Any of a series of alloys of high-purity zinc…

1. zinc-coated, adj. 1930–

1. zincian, adj. 1930–
   Of a mineral: having a (small) proportion of a…

1. Mazak, n. 1937–
   Any of a series of alloys of zinc and aluminium…

1. zinc-topped, adj. 1938–

1. ziram, n. 1950–
   A zinc compound used as a fungicide, esp. on some…

1. mancozeb, n. 1963–
   A polymeric complex of maneb and zinc used as a…

1. zinc-air, adj. 1970–
   Applied to a type of primary cell employing a…

1. zinc finger, n. 1987–
   A finger-like loop of peptides enclosing a bound…

1. copper-zinc, n.
   attributive of copper and zinc, as a copper-zinc…

1. C.1.
   General attrib.
   1. C.1.a.
      Made or consisting of zinc.
      1. zinc wire, n. 1803–
      1. zinc filings, n. 1809–
      1. zinc gauze, n. 1844–
      1. zinc dish, n. 1883–
   2. C.1.b.
      Containing or made with zinc.
      1. zinc ore, n. 1808–
      1. zinc amalgam, n. 1839–
      1. zinc bath, n. 1843–
      1. zinc ointment, n. 1843–
      1. zinc lotion, n. 1899–
      1. zinc plaster, n. 1899–
      1. zinc-lining, n. 1912–
   3. C.1.c.
      spec. in names of chemical compounds.
      1. zinc salt, n. 1841–
      1. zinc oxide, n. 1849–
      1. zinc carbonate, n. 1851–
   4. C.1.d.
      Pertaining to or used in connection with zinc.
      1. zinc furnace, n. 1878–
2. C.2.
   Objective and instrumental.
   1. C.2.a.
      1. zinc-worker, n. 1858–
      1. zinc printing, n. 1875–
      1. zinc-etching, n. 1890–
   2. C.2.b.
      1. zinc-plated, adj. 1859–
      1. zinc-lined, adj. 1882–
      1. zinc-covered, adj. 1890–
      1. zinc-roofed, adj. 1899–
      1. zinc-coated, adj. 1930–
      1. zinc-topped, adj. 1938–
3. C.3.
   Spec. comb.
   1. zinc spar, n. 1796–
      An old name for native zinc carbonate (=…
   1. zinc-vitriol, n. 1805–
      Sulphate of zinc, white vitriol (R. Jameson Syst…
   1. zinc-plate, n. 1823–
      = zinc-foil, n.
   1. zinc-blende, n. 1842–
      Native zinc sulphide = blende, n.
   1. zinc-bloom, n. 1842–
      Hydrous carbonate of zinc, hydrozincite.
   1. zinc green, n. 1847–
      A mixture of zinc and cobalt oxides used as a pigment.
   1. zinc white, n. 1847–
      Oxide of zinc used as a white paint.
   1. zinc yellow, n. 1847–
      A greenish-yellow pigment consisting principally…
   1. zinc-iron, n. & adj. 1849–
      a. n. An alloy of zinc and iron; b. adj…
   1. zinc-alum, n. 1851–
      (See quots.).
   1. zinc chloride, n. 1851–
      A white, crystalline, deliquescent solid, ZnCl2…
   1. zinc chromate, n. 1851–
      A toxic, yellow, water-insoluble powder, ZnCrO4…
   1. zinc-foil, n. 1851–
      Thin sheet zinc.
   1. zinc sulphate, n. 1851–
   1. zinc sulphide, n. 1851–
      A yellow, water-insoluble powder, ZnS, used as a…
   1. zinc-amide, n. 1859–
      (See quots.).
   1. zinc-spinel, n. 1868–
      = gahnite, n. (Dana Min. 1868).
   1. zinc-dust, n. 1877–
      Zinc in the form of fine powder (often mixed with…
   1. zinc-grey, n. 1881–
      a. Zinc-dust obtained by grinding in oil, used as…
   1. zinc-powder, n. 1881–
      = zinc-dust, n.
   1. zinc scum, n. 1881–
   1. zinc roof, n. 1883–
      A corrugated roof of galvanized iron.
   1. zinc chrome, n. 1892–
      = zinc yellow, n. below.
   1. zinc-sponge, n. 1902–
      (See quot.).
   1. zinc sheet, n. 1905–
   1. zinc orange, n. 1918–
      A shade of orange.
   1. zinc-air, adj. 1970–
      Applied to a type of primary cell employing a…
4. C.4.
   1922–
   As adj.: Having a basically greyish colour.
   1. 1922

      > A zinc greengage or two.

      ‘K. Mansfield’, Letter 11 August (1977) 271
   2. 1960

      > Faultless eyes gone blank beneath the immense Zinc-and-gunmetal northern sky.

      New Yorker 1 October 44/2

zinc, n. was first published in 1921; not fully revised.

zinc, n. was last modified in December 2024.