nickel

[nik-uh l] /ˈnɪk əl/
noun
1.
Chemistry. a hard, silvery-white, ductile and malleable metallic element, allied to iron and cobalt, not readily oxidized: used chiefly in alloys, in electroplating, and as a catalyst in organic synthesis. Symbol: Ni; atomic weight: 58.71; atomic number: 28; specific gravity: 8.9 at 20°C.
2.
a cupronickel coin of the U.S., the 20th part of a dollar, equal to five cents.
3.
a nickel coin of Canada, the 20th part of a dollar, equal to five cents.
verb (used with object), nickeled, nickeling or (especially British) nickelled, nickelling.
4.
to cover or coat with nickel; nickel-plate.
adjective
5.
Slang. costing or worth five dollars:
a nickel bag of heroin.
Origin
1745-55; < Swedish, abstracted from kopparnickel < German Kupfernickel niccolite, literally, copper demon (so called because though looking like copper it yielded none); Nickel demon, special use of short form of Nikolaus proper name. Cf. Old Nick, pumpernickel
Examples from the web for nickel
  • It too is composed mostly of iron, plus substantial amounts of sulfur and nickel.
  • Tending the plants doing phytoremediation comes to about a nickel a cubic meter.
  • As he says, he wants to make a quick nickel rather than a long dime.
  • nickel has been in short supply for the past couple of years.
  • Iron, nickel and other minerals might also be mined to use for construction.
  • To identify nickel in a specimen, however, will require laboratory testing.
  • We did precisely that, leaving the waitress a nickel.
  • But the whole concept of trying to nickel and dime technology and still be leading edge is laughable.
  • The prices of copper, nickel and zinc have also fallen by half or more this year, and aluminium is down by a third.
  • The prices of copper, nickel and zinc have also fallen by around half this year, and aluminium is down by a third.
British Dictionary definitions for nickel

nickel

/ˈnɪkəl/
noun
1.
a malleable ductile silvery-white metallic element that is strong and corrosion-resistant, occurring principally in pentlandite and niccolite: used in alloys, esp in toughening steel, in electroplating, and as a catalyst in organic synthesis. Symbol: Ni; atomic no: 28; atomic wt: 58.6934; valency: 0, 1, 2, or 3; relative density: 8.902; melting pt: 1455°C; boiling pt: 2914°C
2.
a US and Canadian coin and monetary unit worth five cents
verb -els, -elling, -elled (US) -els, -eling, -eled
3.
(transitive) to plate with nickel
Word Origin
C18: shortened form of German Kupfernickelniccolite, literally: copper demon, so called by miners because it was mistakenly thought to contain copper
Word Origin and History for nickel
n.

whitish metal element, 1755, coined in 1754 by Swedish mineralogist Axel von Cronstedt (1722-1765) from shortening of Swedish kopparnickel "copper-colored ore" (from which it was first obtained), a half-translation of German Kupfernickel, literally "copper demon," from Kupfer (see copper) + Nickel "demon, goblin, rascal" (a pet form of masc. proper name Nikolaus, cf. English Old Nick "the devil;" see Nicholas); the ore so called by miners because it looked like copper but yielded none.

Meaning "coin made partly of nickel" is from 1857, when the U.S. introduced one-cent coins made of nickel to replace the old bulky copper pennies. Application to five-cent piece (originally one part nickel, three parts copper) is from 1883, American English; in earlier circulation there were silver half-dimes. To nickel-and-dime (someone) is from 1964 (nickels and dimes "very small amounts of money" is attested from 1893).

nickel in Medicine

nickel nick·el (nĭk'əl)
n.
Symbol Ni
A silvery hard ductile ferromagnetic metallic element used in alloys and in corrosion-resistant surfaces. Atomic number 28; atomic weight 58.69; melting point 1,455°C; boiling point 2,913°C; specific gravity 8.902; valence 0, 1, 2, 3.

nickel in Science
nickel
  (nĭk'əl)   
Symbol Ni
A silvery, hard, ductile metallic element that occurs in ores along with iron or magnesium. It resists oxidation and corrosion and is used to make alloys such as stainless steel. It is also used as a coating for other metals. Atomic number 28; atomic weight 58.69; melting point 1,453°C; boiling point 2,732°C; specific gravity 8.902; valence 0, 1, 2, 3. See Periodic Table.
Slang definitions & phrases for nickel

nickel

noun
  1. A five-year prison sentence (1960s+ Underworld)
  2. nickel bag (1960s+ Narcotics)
Related Terms

big nickel, don't take any wooden nickels, double nickel, plugged nickel


Idioms and Phrases with nickel

nickel

see: not worth a dime (plugged nickel)