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heavy metal

noun

  1. genre of rock music characterized by slack-tuned instruments, and unconventional changes of tonality (key) and time signature (metre)
  2. loosely defined subset of elements that exhibit metallic properties
L1190243 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈhɛv.i ˌmɛt.əl/

noun

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.

  1. 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.)
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Guns or shot of large size.
  5. Great influence or power.