heavy metal

== English == === Etymology === According to the Oxford World's Classics edition of Anthony Trollope's Rachel Ray (1863), "big guns," as on a warship. The origin of the music genre sense is often disputed; it was used by William S. Burroughs in Soft Machine and Nova Express and various music critics claim to have coined it: Sandy Pearlman, Lester Bangs and Mike Saunders. === Pronunciation === (US) IPA(key): /ˈhɛv.i ˌmɛt.əl/ === Noun === heavy metal (countable and uncountable, plural heavy metals) (sciences, countable) Any metal that has a specific gravity greater than about 5, especially one, such as lead, that is poisonous and may be a hazard in the environment. (There are many different definitions of what counts as a heavy metal; see Heavy metals for a discussion.) (music, uncountable) A genre descended from rock music, characterized by the use of emphatic drumbeats, highly amplified distortion, and overall loudness; often featuring extended instrumental solos and powerful vocals. Synonym: metal (music, uncountable) The first form of metal music, which arose in the late 1960s and the 1970s, and is closer to the rock music of the time than most other subgenres of metal. (uncountable) Guns or shot of large size. (uncountable, figurative) Great influence or power. ==== Usage notes ==== To listeners of the music, metal is a more common term to refer to the entire genre, while heavy metal is a specific subgenre, which was the progenitor to other styles and includes bands such as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Judas Priest. ==== Hyponyms ==== (genre of music): ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === See also === acid rock === References === === Further reading === Heavy metals on Wikipedia.Wikipedia Heavy metal music on Wikipedia.Wikipedia == Dutch == === Etymology === Borrowed from English heavy metal. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˌɦɛ.vi ˈmɛ.təl/ Hyphenation: hea‧vy me‧tal === Noun === heavy metal m (uncountable, no diminutive) (music) heavy metal == Italian == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English heavy metal. === Noun === heavy metal m (uncountable) (music) heavy metal Synonym: metal ==== Related terms ==== metallaro == Polish == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English heavy metal. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈxɛ.vi ˈmɛ.tal/ Syllabification: [please specify syllabification manually] === Noun === heavy metal m inan (related adjective heavymetalowy) heavy metal (style of music) ==== Declension ==== ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== === Further reading === heavy metal I in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN heavy metal II in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN heavy metal in Polish dictionaries at PWN == Portuguese == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English heavy metal. === Pronunciation === === Noun === heavy metal m (uncountable) (music) heavy metal (genre of rock music) Synonyms: metal, rock pauleira (Brazil, dated) ==== Related terms ==== metaleiro == Romanian == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English heavy metal. === Noun === heavy metal n (uncountable) heavy metal ==== Declension ==== == Spanish == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English heavy metal. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˌxebi meˈtal/ [ˌxe.β̞i meˈt̪al] === Noun === heavy metal m (uncountable) heavy metal (genre of music) Synonym: rock pesado ==== Usage notes ==== According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed. === Further reading === “heavy metal”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025 == Swedish == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English heavy metal. === Noun === heavy metal c (music) heavy metal Synonym: hårdrock === References === heavy metal in Svensk ordbok (SO) heavy metal in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)