ScienceAugust 15, 2026

polymetallic

pah-lee-muh-TAL-ik

Definition

Composed of or containing several different metallic elements.

Etymology

The word is a hybrid construction derived from the Greek 'poly-' meaning 'many' and the Medieval Latin 'metallum' meaning 'metal.' It entered the English language as a technical descriptor for substances containing multiple distinct metal types.

In the news

In this article, the word describes the type of mineral nodules found on the seabed, which contain a mix of valuable materials like manganese, cobalt, and nickel. It is central to the piece because these specific nodules are the primary focus of the commercial mining survey.

New Deep Sea Mining Survey Mission Launched

Read the full article ↗

DeeperBlue.com

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