LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · neutersecond declension

metallum

metallum n (genitive metallī)
Classical[mɛˈtal.lũː]Ecclesiastical[meˈtal.lum]
Mille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. neutermetal (atomic element or material made of such atoms)
  2. neuterprecious metals, especially gold or silver.
  3. neutermine (place where metals are found)

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

quod ē terrā venit: aurum, argentum, ferrum, plumbum.
metallum -ī n — in Mille Verba, Mercātus

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativemetallummetalla
genitivemetallīmetallōrum
dativemetallōmetallīs
accusativemetallummetalla
ablativemetallōmetallīs
vocativemetallummetalla

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

pecunia publica, quae ex metallis redit
the public income from the mines.

mĕtallum, i, n., = μέταλλον,
I. a mine or quarry, of gold, silver, iron, or stone; voc. metalle, as if from metallus, Spart. Pesc. Nig. 126.
I. Lit., the place where metals are dug, a mine: metalla vetera intermissa recoluit, et nova multis locis instituit, Liv. 39, 24: sandaracae, Vitr. 7, 7, 5: aurifera, gold-mines, Luc. 3, 209: silicum, stone-quarry, id. 4, 304: miniarium, Plin. 33, 7, 40, § 118: praeter annuum, quod ex metallis regiis capia, vectigal, Liv. 42, 12: herba tantae suavitatis, ut metallum esse coeperit, a mine, i. e. that a tax was raised from it as from a mine, Plin. 21, 7, 20, § 44: damnare in metallum, to condemn to labor in the mines or quarries: damnatus in metallum, Plin. Ep. 2, 11, 8: condemnare aliquem ad metalla, Suet. Calig. 27: mediocrium delictorum poenae sunt metallum, ludus, deportatio, Paul. Sent. 5, 17, 3; 5, 3, 5: dare aliquem in metallum, Dig. 48, 19, 8: metallo plecti, ib. 47, 11, 7: puniri, ib. 48, 13, 6.—
II. Transf., the product of a mine or quarry.
1. A metal, as gold, silver, or iron: ubicumque una inventa vena argenti est, non procul invenitur alia. Hoc quidem et in omni fere materia: unde metalla Graeci videntur dixisse, Plin. 33. 6, 31, § 96: auri, Verg. A. 8, 445: potior metallis libertas, i. e. gold and silver, Hor. Ep. 1, 10, 39: aeris, Verg. G. 2, 165: pejoraque saecula ferri temporibus, quorum ... nomen a nullo posuit natura metallo, Juv. 13, 30.—
2. Other things dug from the earth.
(a). Marble, Stat. S. 4, 3, 98.—
(b). Precious stone: radiantium metalla gemmarum, Pacat. Pan. 4.—
(g). Chalk: admiscetur creta ... Campani negant alicam confici sine eo metallo posse, Plin. 18, 11, 29, § 114.—
(d). Sulphur: utque est ingenium vivacis metalli (sulphuris), App. M. 9. p. 228, 23.—(ε) Salt: metallum fragile, Prud. Hamart. 744.—
III. Trop., metal, stuff, material: saecula meliore metallo, Claud. III. Cons. Hon. 184: mores meliore metallo, id. Cons. Mall. Theod. 137.

Origins

From Ancient Greek μέταλλον (métallon).

Descendants
  • Frenchmétal
  • GermanMetall
  • Italianmetallo
  • Catalanmetallfrom Old Catalan metall
  • Portuguesemetalfrom Old Catalan metall
  • Spanishmetalfrom Old Catalan metall
  • Occitanmetalfrom Old Catalan metall
  • Englishmetalfrom Old French metal
  • Catalanmetalfrom Old French metal
  • Italianmetalfrom Old French metal

In English words that came into English from metallum

  • metalmetallum
  • metallicmetallicus
  • metalliformmetallum
  • metallifacturemetallum

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

AntiquitiesMetallumMetallum (μέταλλον). The Greek word bears only the meaning of mine; the Latin means either a mine or its product, mineral or metal. I. Metals in Antiq…

Quick answers

What does metallum mean in Latin?
metallum, a noun, means “metal (atomic element or material made of such atoms); precious metals, especially gold or silver.; mine (place where metals are found)”.
What is the genitive of metallum?
The genitive singular is metallī. metallum is neuter, second declension.
How do you pronounce metallum?
In classical Latin, [mɛˈtal.lũː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [meˈtal.lum].
Which English words come from metallum?
English words that go back to Latin metallum include metal, metalliform, metallifacture and metallic.