Zinc
/zɪŋk/noun
A bluish-white metallic element used to protect iron from rust and in alloys.
Did you know?The English word entered via German and ultimately traces back to an alchemical term for the sharp metallic crystals formed on furnace walls, not to any ancient “elemental” name.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
German
Zink
“A name for the metal, likely influenced by an alchemical term for pointed, prong-like furnace deposits.”
16th Century
Middle High German
zinke
“A prong, tooth, or pointed projection.”
16th Century
Latin
zincum
“An alchemical/metallic term used by Paracelsian writers for the metal.”
17th Century
English
zinc
“The metal zinc.”
Modern English
English
zinc
“The chemical element and the metal it forms.”