Aluminum
/ælˈuːmɪnəm/
nounBeginner🔥Very CommonGeneral
1 meaning2 questions
Definitions
1
A chemical element, a lightweight, ductile, and malleable metal.
/ælˈuːmɪnəm/
nounneutralBeginner
General
A lightweight, silvery-white metal.
The frame of the bicycle is made of aluminum.
💡 Simply: A shiny, light metal used in many things.
More Examples
2
Aluminum foil is used to wrap food.
How It's Used
Engineering
"Aluminum is used extensively in aircraft construction."
Manufacturing
"The factory produces aluminum cans."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
From French aluminium, from Latin alumen ('alum'). The modern spelling 'aluminum' is primarily used in the US, while 'aluminium' is preferred in many other English-speaking countries.
Aluminum was once a rare and expensive metal; its widespread use only became possible with advancements in extraction techniques.
Memory tip
Think 'light' as in 'light metal' for its low density.
Word Origin
LanguageLatin
Original meaning
"alum"
aluminum foilaluminum canaluminum alloy
Common misspellings
aluminimaluminniumalluminum
Practice
Usage
20%Spoken
80%Written