Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “metal detector” come from?

metal detector (English) comes from English metal, from French métal, from German metall, from Italian metallo, from Spanish metal, from Old Spanish metal, from Old French métal, from Latin metallum — to mine, quarry.

metal detector (English): A hand-held device that uses electromagnetic...

Definitions

  1. A hand-held device that uses electromagnetic...

Ancestry of “metal detector”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishmetal"Chemical elements or alloys, and the mines where...
2Frenchmétalmetal
3Germanmetall—
4Italianmetallometal
5Spanishmetalmetal
6Old Spanishmetalmetal
7Old Frenchmétal—
8Latinmetallummetal; precious metals, especially gold or...
9Ancient GreekμέταλλονA mine, quarry, or salt pit; metal
10Ancient Greekμέταλλευεινto mine, quarry

Words derived from “metal detector”

  • metal detectorist
  • metaldetector
Every word from Ancient Greek μέταλλευειν →