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Definition of 'enamel'

Word Frequency

enamel

(ɪnæməl )
Word forms: plural enamels
1. variable noun [oft NOUN noun]
Enamel is a substance like glass which can be heated and put onto metal, glass, or pottery in order to decorate or protect it.
...a white enamel saucepan on the oil stove.
...enamel baths.
2. variable noun [oft NOUN noun]
Enamel is a hard, shiny paint that is used especially for painting metal and wood.
...enamel polymer paints.
He relied on translucent enamels to produce vivid, glowing pictures.
3. uncountable noun
Enamel is the hard white substance that forms the outer part of a tooth.
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency

enamel in British

(ɪˈnæməl )
noun
1. 
a coloured glassy substance, translucent or opaque, fused to the surface of articles made of metal, glass, etc, for ornament or protection
2. 
an article or articles ornamented with enamel
3. 
an enamel-like paint or varnish
4. 
any smooth glossy coating resembling enamel
5.  another word for nail polish
6. 
the hard white calcified substance that covers the crown of each tooth
7. (modifier)
a. 
decorated or covered with enamel
an enamel ring
b. 
made with enamel
enamel paste
verbWord forms: -els, -elling, -elledWord forms: US -els, -eling or -eled (transitive)
8. 
to inlay, coat, or otherwise decorate with enamel
9. 
to ornament with glossy variegated colours, as if with enamel
10. 
to portray in enamel
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
enameller (eˈnameller), enamellist (eˈnamellist) or US enameler (eˈnameler) or enamelist (eˈnamelist)
noun
enamelwork (eˈnamelˌwork)
noun
Word origin of 'enamel'
C15: from Old French esmail, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German smalz lard; see smelt1
Word Frequency

enamel in American

(ɛˈnæməl ; enamˈəl; ɪˈnæməl ; inamˈəl)
noun
1. 
a glassy, colored, opaque substance fused to surfaces of metals, glass, and pottery as an ornamental or protective coating
2. 
any smooth, hard, glossy coating or surface like enamel
3. 
the hard, white, glossy coating of the crown of a tooth
4. 
anything enameled; enameled ware or a piece of jewelry, etc. produced in enamel
5. 
paint that produces a smooth, hard, glossy surface when it dries
verb transitiveWord forms: enˈameled or enˈamelled, enˈameling or enˈamelling
6. 
to inlay or cover with enamel
7. 
to decorate in various colors, as if with enamel
8. 
to form an enamel-like surface on
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word origin of 'enamel'
ME enamelen < Anglo-Fr enamayller < en- (see en-1) + amayl < OFr esmail, enamel < Gmc *smalts, a glaze, melted substance: for IE base see smelt1

Example sentences containing 'enamel'

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content. Read more…
For very damaged teeth, bonding is a process carried out by your dentist and involves painting enamel back on to the teeth where it has been lost. The Sun (2016)They weaken the tooth enamel and brushing too soon causes damage. Times, Sunday Times (2016)The cheerful room was panelled and framed in pine with a white enamel finish. Eaton, John P & Haas, Charles A Titanic - Destination disaster (1987)Researchers left a tooth in various drinks for an hour and measured the damage to surface enamel. The Sun (2013)They may also have dental problems such as a delay in teeth coming through or weak tooth enamel. The Sun (2011)They blame the rise on trendy diet drinks which are so acidic they strip the surface tooth enamel. The Sun (2010)It most commonly involves removing healthy enamel and tooth tissue so that veneers can be cemented to the front of the teeth. Times, Sunday Times (2009)Rub off any loose paint with wire wool, then touch up chips with enamel metal paint. Times, Sunday Times (2015)Its modest "effects," compact of enamel paint and ingenuity, spoke to him in the language just then sweetest to his ear. Edith Wharton The House of Mirth (1905)

Trends of 'enamel'

Used Occasionally. enamel is one of the 30000 most commonly used words in the Collins dictionary

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Translations for 'enamel'

British English: enamel /ɪˈnæməl/ NOUN
Enamel is a substance which can be heated and put onto metal in order to decorate or protect it.
...a white enamel saucepan.
  • American English: enamel
  • Arabic: مِيْنَاء
  • Brazilian Portuguese: esmalte
  • Chinese: 珐琅
  • Croatian: emajl
  • Czech: smalt
  • Danish: emalje
  • Dutch: email
  • European Spanish: esmalte
  • Finnish: emali
  • French: émail
  • German: Email
  • Greek: σμάλτο
  • Italian: smalto
  • Japanese: エナメル
  • Korean: 에나멜
  • Norwegian: emalje
  • Polish: emalia
  • European Portuguese: esmalte
  • Romanian: smalț
  • Russian: эмаль
  • Spanish: esmalte
  • Swedish: emalj
  • Thai: สิ่งเคลือบ
  • Turkish: emaye
  • Ukrainian: емаль
  • Vietnamese: men gốm

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Nearby words of 'enamel'

  • enacture
  • enalapril
  • enallage
  • enamel
  • enamel paint
  • enamel painting
  • enameled

  • All ENGLISH words that begin with 'E'

Related Terms of 'enamel'

  • enamel paint
  • stove enamel
  • enamel painting
  • nail enamel

Source

Definition of enamel from the Collins English Dictionary

Irregular verbs

Irregular verbs are verbs that do not form the past simple tense and the past participle by adding -ed to the base form. The three main groups of irregular verbs In Group A, the base form, the past...
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Scrabble score for 'enamel': 8
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