Meaning of nickel in English

1. Pronunciation

   /ˈnɪk(ə)l/

   US accent

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   UK accent

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1. Verb

   nickel

   Definitions

   1. plate with nickel

   Examples

   • « nickel the plate »

2. Noun

   nickel

   Etymology

   mid 18th century: shortening of German Kupfernickel, the copper-colored ore from which nickel was first obtained, from Kupfer‘copper’ + Nickel‘demon’ (with reference to the ore's failure to yield copper)

   Definitions

   1. a hard malleable ductile silvery metallic element that is resistant to corrosion

   Examples

   • « used in alloys »
   • « occurs in pentlandite and smaltite and garnierite and millerite »
3. 2. a United States coin worth one twentieth of a dollar
4. 3. five dollars worth of a drug

   Examples

   • « a nickel bag of drugs »
   • « a nickel deck of heroin »