variants
or less commonly nickle
1
: a silver-white hard malleable ductile metallic element capable of a high polish and resistant to corrosion that is used chiefly in alloys and as a catalyst see Chemical Elements Table
2
a(1)
: the U.S. 5-cent piece regularly containing 25 percent nickel and 75 percent copper
(2)
: the Canadian 5-cent piece
b
: five cents
3
slang
: a packet containing five dollars worth of an illicit drug (such as marijuana)
called also nickel bag
4
: a pass defense in football that employs five defensive backs
Examples of nickel in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Mining the deep oceans for cobalt, nickel, rare earths and other metals could accelerate the world’s conversion to renewable power sources.
—
F.d. Flam, Twin Cities, 4 Aug. 2024
Per the paper, four of the shards contain unusually high concentrations of elements like copper, zinc, nickel, tin, mercury, gold and lead.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Aug. 2024
In the secondary, reigning Holiday Bowl Defensive MVP Jaylin Smith might cover the gamut during fall camp – cornerback, nickel, dime, safety – before coaches officially decide on a primary position, Lynn said.
—Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 31 July 2024
The chunks of metal are made of minerals like cobalt, nickel, manganese and copper that are necessary to make batteries.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 24 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for nickel 
F.d. Flam, Twin Cities, 4 Aug. 2024
Per the paper, four of the shards contain unusually high concentrations of elements like copper, zinc, nickel, tin, mercury, gold and lead.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Aug. 2024
In the secondary, reigning Holiday Bowl Defensive MVP Jaylin Smith might cover the gamut during fall camp – cornerback, nickel, dime, safety – before coaches officially decide on a primary position, Lynn said.
—Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 31 July 2024
The chunks of metal are made of minerals like cobalt, nickel, manganese and copper that are necessary to make batteries.
—Kerry Breen, CBS News, 24 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for nickel
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nickel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Nickel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nickel. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
nickel
noun
nick·el
ˈnik-əl 
: a silver-white hard malleable ductile metallic element capable of a high polish and resistant to corrosion that is used chiefly in alloys and as a catalyst
—symbol Ni
see Chemical Elements Table
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