Metalware

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Crafted items formed from metals, employed both for utility and ornamental value
2. Objects made from metallic materials, designed to serve practical uses while also enhancing visual appeal
3. Items produced from various metals that serve practical functions and provide aesthetic value

Etymology: Metalware is a plain compound: "metal" joined to "-ware," the English suffix meaning goods or manufactured articles of a particular material, as in "earthenware" or "glassware." The "-ware" element comes from Old English "waru," meaning merchandise or goods, which descends from a Proto-Germanic root shared with the word "wares." So the word simply means things made of metal, most often household items such as pots, pans, and kitchen utensils. The metal part has a longer journey. It traces back to Ancient Greek "métallon," meaning a mine or quarry, which passed into Latin as "metallum" with the same sense. Old French then took it up as "metal," and Middle English borrowed it from there, so the earliest English sense was closer to "mineral ore" than to the shiny substance we now call metal.

Synonyms: metal goods, metal items, metal products, metal utensils, metal tools

Antonyms: plasticware, ceramics, woodwork, glassware, fabric