white metal

American

noun

any of various light-colored alloys, as Babbitt metal or Britannia metal.

white metal British

noun

Also called: antifriction metal. any of various alloys, such as Babbitt metal, used for bearings

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of white metal

First recorded in 1605–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The company is Ridwell, and if you drive the residential streets of the San Francisco Bay Area or Los Angeles, you’re likely to see the company’s signature white metal boxes on porches.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2026

The white metal surged above $120 last month during a record-breaking rally, before plunging more than 30% last Friday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

"Three years ago, everything we were making was white metal, people liked that low key, less bright yellow look. I think customers thought it was underplaying it."

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

The white metal did get a taste of social-media-driven buzz back in early 2021, when the original meme-stock craze was still in full effect.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 26, 2026

He had a rounded bald head, a sleek white metal frame, and a forbidding scowl.

From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023