enamel

[ ih-nam-uhl ]

noun

1. a glassy substance, usually opaque, applied by fusion to the surface of metal, pottery, etc., as an ornament or for protection.
2. enamelware.
3. any of various varnishes, paints, coatings, etc., drying to a hard, glossy finish.
4. any enamellike surface with a bright luster.
5. an artistic work executed in enamel.
6. Dentistry. the hard, glossy, calcareous covering of the crown of a tooth, containing only a slight amount of organic substance.

verb (used with object)

, e·nam·eled, e·nam·el·ing or (especially British) e·nam·elled, e·nam·el·ling.

1. to inlay or overlay with enamel.
2. to form an enamellike surface upon:

   to enamel cardboard.

3. to decorate as with enamel; variegate with colors.

enamel

/ ɪˈnæməl /

noun

1. a coloured glassy substance, translucent or opaque, fused to the surface of articles made of metal, glass, etc, for ornament or protection
2. an article or articles ornamented with enamel
3. an enamel-like paint or varnish
4. any smooth glossy coating resembling enamel
5. another word for nail polish
6. the hard white calcified substance that covers the crown of each tooth
7. modifier
   1. decorated or covered with enamel

      an enamel ring

   2. made with enamel

      enamel paste

verb

1. to inlay, coat, or otherwise decorate with enamel
2. to ornament with glossy variegated colours, as if with enamel
3. to portray in enamel

enamel

/ ĭ-năm′əl /

1. The hard, translucent substance covering the exposed portion of a tooth in mammals. Enamel is the hardest substance in the body, and consists mostly of calcium salts.

enamel

1. The hard, white substance that covers the crown of a tooth .

Derived Forms

• eˈnamelˌwork, noun
• eˈnameller, noun

Other Words From

• e·namel·er especially British, e·namel·ler noun
• e·namel·ist especially British, e·namel·list noun
• e·namel·work noun
• une·nameled adjective
• une·namelled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of enamel¹

1275–1325; Middle English enamelen < Anglo-French enameler, enamailler, equivalent to en- en- ¹ + -amaler, derivative of asmal, esmal enamel, Old French esmail ( -al taken as the suffix -ail ) < Old Low Franconian *smalt- something melted, cognate with German Schmalz fat; akin to smelt ¹; smalto

Word History and Origins

Origin of enamel¹

C15: from Old French esmail, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German smalz lard; see smelt ¹

Example Sentences

L.A. artist and landscape designer Bianca D’Amico’s clever enamel pin perfectly captures Southern California’s love for our local wildflowers along with our concern about not destroying those flowers with too much love.

From Los Angeles Times

In Aspartame, the descriptions of the physical side effects of bulimia aren’t sugar coated, she is “rail thin in a polka dress” with “tooth enamel dissolved by stomach acid”.

From BBC

And if you're concerned about any impact to teeth enamel, one trick is to follow sparkling water with a glass of still.

From Salon

The chemical signature is absorbed by animals on consumption and remains locked in the hard enamel of their teeth, allowing archaeologists to trace their life journeys hundreds of years later.

From Science Daily

To understand more about the horses, researchers took samples from their tooth enamel, looking for variations in the element strontium.

From Science Magazine

Related Words

• coating
• glaze
• lacquer
• stain
• varnish