nickel

noun

nick·​el ˈni-kəl 

variants or less commonly nickle

1

: a silver-white hard malleable ductile metallic element capable of a high polish and resistant to corrosion that is used chiefly in alloys and as a catalyst see Chemical Elements Table

2

a(1)

: the U.S. 5-cent piece regularly containing 25 percent nickel and 75 percent copper

(2)

: the Canadian 5-cent piece

b

: five cents

3

slang : a packet containing five dollars worth of an illicit drug (such as marijuana)

called also nickel bag

4

: a pass defense in football that employs five defensive backs

Examples of nickel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

His new project follows a Indonesian family struggling to keep their clove farm afloat as a nickel mining boom in their remote area threatens to destroy their village’s old way of life. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 12 Dec. 2024

The company’s nickel expansion picked up pace this year with a flurry of dealmaking. —Yessar Rosendar, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024

There are concerns that China could go further and restrict the export of nickel or cobalt, which are both major components of the rechargeable batteries found in electronic devices; such a move could prompt prices to spike and many countries beyond the U.S. to search for their own supplies. —Byandrew Nusca, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2024

McCloud has experience at nickel cornerback from his time with the New York Giants. —Matt Barrows, The Athletic, 4 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

probably from Swedish nickel, from German Kupfernickel niccolite (mineral containing nickel arsenide), probably from Kupfer copper + Nickel goblin; from the deceptive copper color of niccolite

First Known Use

1755, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing nickel

• nickel-and-dime
• nickel silver
• not cost a dime/nickel

Kids Definition

nickel

1 of 2 noun

nick·​el

ˈnik-əl

1

: a silver-white hard metallic element that can be hammered and shaped and is capable of a high polish, resistant to wearing away, and used chiefly in alloys see element

2

a

also nickle : the U.S. five-cent piece made of nickel and copper

b

: five cents

nickel

2 of 2 verb

nick·​el

nickeled or nickelled; nickeling or nickelling

ˈnik-(ə-)liŋ

: to plate with nickel

Etymology

derived from German Kupfernickel "a compound of nickel and arsenic," literally "copper demon," from Kupfer "copper" and Nickel "demon"

Word Origin

When copper miners in the German state of Saxony first dug out chunks of what is now known to be nickel ore, they thought it was copper. But even though it was reddish-brown like copper, the ore broke easily and did not seem to have any use. Because they were at first fooled, the Germans called this ore Kupfernickel, meaning literally "copper demon" or "copper goblin." Kupfer is the German word for "copper" and Nickel in German means "demon" or "goblin." Even though the metal turned out to be quite valuable, it kept its old name. For a while the term was copper nickel in English, and then simply nickel, for both the metal and the American five-cent coin made out of a combination of nickel and copper.

Medical Definition

nickel

noun

nick·​el ˈnik-əl 

: a silver-white hard malleable ductile metallic element capable of a high polish and resistant to corrosion that is used chiefly in alloys and as a catalyst

—symbol Ni see Chemical Elements Table