medal
pronunciation
How to pronounce medal in British English:
UK [ˈmedl]
How to pronounce medal in American English:
US [ˈmedl]
-
- Noun:
- an award for winning a championship or commemorating some other event
Word Origin
- medal
- medal: see metal
- medal (v.)
- 1845, "stamped onto a medal," from medal (n.). From 1857 as "to award (someone or something) a medal;" intransitive sense is 20c. Related: Medaled; medalled; medaling; medalling.
- medal (n.)
- 1580s, from Middle French médaille (15c.), from Italian medaglia "a medal," according to OED from Vulgar Latin *metallea (moneta) "metal (coin)," from Latin metallum (see metal). The other theory [Klein, Barnhart, Watkins] is that medaglia originally meant "coin worth half a denarius," and is from Vulgar Latin *medalia, from Late Latin medialia "little halves," neuter plural of medialis "of the middle" (see medial (adj.)). Originally a trinket or charm; as a reward for merit, proficiency, etc., attested from 1751.
Example
- 1. It was the first-ever olympic synchro medal for the americans .
- 2. At 5 , cheng won her first competitive medal at a local competition .
- 3. They missed out on a medal after botching their last dive .
- 4. East germany topped that list with a medal for every 3.3 of its olympic athletes .
- 5. In 2004 , zou took the bronze in athens , marking china 's first olympic boxing medal .