metal

Compared meaning: made of, or like, metal (adjective).

比较义项：金属的（形容词）。

• metal 本词

  Metal is normally a noun used attributively before another noun; it states that an object is literally made of the solid material, with no sense of mere appearance, and typically pairs with nouns like fence, pipe, or roof.

  metal 通常是名词作定语，放在另一个名词前面，表示某物确实是由金属这种材料制成的，没有“看起来像”的含义，常与 fence（栅栏）、pipe（管子）、roof（屋顶）等名词搭配。

  She locked her bike to a metal railing outside the station.

  她把自行车锁在车站外的一根金属栏杆上。

• metallic

  Metallic is a true adjective that can describe either something actually containing metal or merely something with a metal-like appearance, sound, sheen, or taste, even when no real metal is present.

  metallic 是真正的形容词，既可以形容确实含有金属成分的东西，也可以只是形容外观、声音、光泽或味道像金属，即使实际上并没有金属。

  The old fridge made a strange metallic clanging sound when it started.

  那台旧冰箱启动时发出一种奇怪的金属般的哐当声。

Metal and metallic are close but used differently. Metal is a noun before another noun, meaning something is made of the material, as in 'metal fence'. Metallic is an adjective, describing something that truly contains metal, or something that only looks or sounds like metal.

这两个词在“金属的”这一意义上很接近，容易混淆，但用法有别：metal 强调物体确实由金属这种材料制成，metallic 则既可以指含有金属成分，也可以只是形容外观、声音或质感像金属，未必真是金属。