nickel

Definition

A silvery elemental metal with an atomic number of 28 and symbol Ni.

Etymology

Borrowed from German Nickel, first used in a text by the Swedish mineralogist Axel F. Cronstedt as an abbreviation of Kupfernickel (“a mineral containing copper and nickel”), from Kupfer (“copper”) + Nickel (“insignificant person, goblin”), originally nickname of Nikolaus (“Nicholas”), due to the deceptive silver colour of the relatively valueless ore. Compare cobalt as related to kobolds.

Example Sentences

• "That is just objectively terrifying regardless of contexts! He looks like if a nickel did cocaine!"
• "Colonel Hazeltine still had trouble persuading air commanders to drop the nickels. Pilots profanely protested against risking their necks on such foolishness. But in the end 15,000,000 leaflets a week were being dropped on Sicily and Italy."
• "Many types of nickels were used in psychological warfare. Classified according to general purpose, there were strategic and tactical leaflets."