medal
UK [ˈmɛd.ɫ̩] · US [ˈmɛɾ.ɫ̩] noun, verb, proper noun
Forms medals medaling medalling medaled medalled
- noun A stamped metal disc used as a personal ornament, a charm, or a religious object.
- noun A stamped or cast metal object (usually a disc), particularly one awarded as a prize or reward.
- noun (obsolete) A Roman coin worth half a denarius.
- verb (intransitive, sports, colloquial) To win a medal. “He medalled twice at the Olympics.”
- verb (transitive) To award a medal to.
- proper noun A surname from Spanish [in turn from Galician].
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English [Term?], from Middle French medaille, medale, from Italian medaglia (originally "half a denarius"), from Early Medieval Latin medālia, feminine derived via dissimilation (/dj–lj/ > /d–lj/) from mediālia, neuter plural of Late Latin mediālis (“middle”, adjective), from Classical Latin medius.
Borrowed from Spanish Medal, itself a surname of Galician origin. This surname is predominantly found in Nicaragua.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A piece of metal in the form of a coin, struck with a device, and intended to preserve the remembrance of a notable event or an illustrious person, or to serve as a reward.
- verb To honor or reward with a medal. "Medaled by the king." Thackeray.
Etymology [F. médaille, It. medaglia, fr. L. metallum metal, through (assumed) LL. metalleus made of metal. See Metal, and cf. Mail a piece of money.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “medal”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details