Bronze

Part of speech: noun, verb, adjective

Pronunciation: /bɹɒnz/

Definitions

1. A reddish-brown metal made by combining copper and tin, often used for sculptures, medals, and decorative objects
2. A metal alloy that typically consists of copper and tin, known for its durability and resistance to corrosion, commonly utilized in art, coinage, and tools
3. An alloy primarily composed of copper with varying degrees of tin, recognized for its strength and aesthetic appeal, frequently found in artistic and functional applications

Etymology: The metal's name arrived in English from French, which took it from Italian, where "bronzo" appears in the 13th century. Its ultimate origin is uncertain: scholars have proposed Latin roots such as "brundium" or "brandisium," but none can be confirmed, so the word's deeper past remains a blank. What is clear is that English borrowed the term in the early 1500s, when French "bronze" was already in use, and the alloy it named was prized long before anyone wrote the word down. The first English use the sources record comes around 1721, in the writings of the poet Matthew Prior. Before that, English speakers had to describe the alloy by its components or by older terms, so "bronze" entered the language as a specialist word for a material that was already central to statues, bells and coins.

Synonyms: copper alloy, medal