Skip to content

zinco

zinc

noun DZEEN-koh Rare

Origin: From German 'Zink', of uncertain origin, possibly from 'Zinke' (prong) referring to the metal's pointed crystals.

Usage Note

Zinco is the chemical element zinc (symbol Zn, atomic number 30). The initial 'z' is pronounced 'dz' (DZEEN-koh). In everyday Italian, zinc appears in l'ossido di zinco (zinc oxide, used in sunscreens) and le tegole di zinco (zinc roof tiles). It is also a dietary mineral: carente di zinco means zinc-deficient.

Examples

"Il tetto era rivestito di lastre di zinco."

Natural Translation

The roof was covered with zinc sheets.

Explore Italian by topic