Castings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Objects created by pouring molten substances into predetermined shapes to solidify into solid forms
2. Items produced through the technique of shaping a material by pouring it into a mold to achieve a specific design
3. Solid items made by shaping molten material poured into a mold until firm

Etymology: "Castings" is simply the plural of "casting", so it names the solid objects themselves rather than the act of making them. The noun "casting" comes from Middle English "castynge" (also "castinge" and "castand"), formed from the verb "cast" with the suffix "-ing", which turns an action into a noun. The verb "cast" itself meant to throw or hurl, so the noun first described the act of throwing or flinging something. The sense of pouring molten metal into a mould developed from that idea of throwing or pouring material into a shape. Over time the act of pouring gave way to its result, so "casting" came to mean the finished piece that emerges from the mould. That is why a plural like "castings" now refers to sturdy metal parts, such as those used in engines and machinery.

Synonyms: molds, shapes