medal

• POS: Adjective, Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: med=al

CIDE DICTIONARY

medal, n. [F. médaille, It. medaglia, fr. L. metallum metal, through (assumed) LL. metalleus made of metal. See Metal, and cf. Mail a piece of money.].

 A piece of metal in the form of a coin, struck with a device, and intended to preserve the remembrance of a notable event or an illustrious person, or to serve as a reward.  [1913 Webster]

medal, v. t. 

 To honor or reward with a medal.  Thackeray.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

medal, n. a piece of metal, usu. in the form of a disc, struck or cast with an inscription or device to commemorate an event etc., or awarded as a distinction to a soldier, scholar, athlete, etc., for services rendered, for proficiency, etc.

Idiom

medal play Golf = stroke play.

Derivative

medalled adj. medallic adj.

Etymology

F m{eacute}daille f. It. medaglia ult. f. L metallum METAL

DEVIL DICTIONARY

medal

n. A small metal disk given as a reward for virtues, attainments or services more or less authentic.
It is related of Bismark, who had been awarded a medal for gallantly rescuing a drowning person, that, being asked the meaning of the medal, he replied: "I save lives sometimes." And sometimes he didn't.

THESAURUS

medal

Bronze Star Medal, Croix de Guerre, Distinguished Conduct Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Distinguished Service Order, Distinguished Unit Citation, Medaille Militaire, Military Cross, Navy Cross, Unit Citation, Victoria Cross, anaglyph, armory, badge, badge of office, badges, bas-relief, baton, blazonry, boss, brassard, button, cameo, cameo glass, cap and gown, cavo-rilievo, chain, chain of office, class ring, cockade, collar, cross, cut glass, decoration, dress, eagle, emblems, embossment, ensigns, fasces, figurehead, fleur-de-lis, glyph, glyptograph, hammer and sickle, heraldry, high relief, insignia, intaglio, intaglio rilevato, intaglio rilievo, lapel pin, livery, low relief, mace, mantle, markings, mask, medallion, military medal, mortarboard, old school tie, order, pin, plaquette, regalia, relief, relievo, ring, rose, school ring, sculptured glass, service medal, shamrock, sigillography, skull and crossbones, sphragistics, staff, swastika, tartan, thistle, tie, uniform, verge, wand, war medal

ROGET THESAURUS

medal

Trophy

N trophy, medal, prize, palm, award, laurel, laurels, bays, crown, chaplet, wreath, civic crown, insignia, feather in one's cap, decoration, garland, triumphal arch, Victoria Cross, Iron Cross, triumph, flying colors, monumentum aere perennius, for valor.

Title

N title, honor, knighthood, highness, excellency, grace, lordship, worship, reverence, reverend, esquire, sir, master, Mr, signor, senor, Mein Herr, mynheer, your honor, his honor, serene highness, handle to one's name, decoration, laurel, palm, wreath, garland, bays, medal, ribbon, riband, blue ribbon, cordon, cross, crown, coronet, star, garter, feather, feather in one's cap, epaulet, epaulette, colors, cockade, livery, order, arms, shield, scutcheon, reward.

Record

N record, trace, vestige, relic, remains, scar, cicatrix, footstep, footmark, footprint, pug, track mark, wake, trail, scent, piste, monument, hatchment, slab, tablet, trophy, achievement, obelisk, pillar, column, monolith, memorial, memento, testimonial, medal, commemoration, record, note, minute, register, registry, roll, cartulary, diptych, Domesday book, catalogue raisonne, entry, memorandum, indorsement, inscription, copy, duplicate, docket, notch, muniment, deed, document, deposition, proces verbal, affidavit, certificate, notebook, memorandum book, memo book, pocketbook, commonplace book, portfolio, pigeonholes, excerpta, adversaria, jottings, dottings, gazette, gazetteer, newspaper, daily, magazine, almanac, almanack, calendar, ephemeris, diary, log, journal, daybook, ledger, cashbook, petty cashbook, professional journal, scientific literature, the literature, primary literature, secondary literature, article, review article, archive, scroll, state paper, return, blue book, statistics, compte rendu, Acts of, Transactions of, Proceedings of, Hansard's Debates, chronicle, annals, legend, history, biography, Congressional Records, registration, registry, enrollment, inrollment, tabulation, entry, booking, signature, recorder, journalism, recording, tape recording, videotape, compact disk, floppy disk, diskette, hard disk, Winchester disk, read-only memory, ROM, write once read mostly memory, WORM, on record, exegi monumentum aere perennium, read their history in a nation's eyes, records that defy the tooth of time.

Sculpture

N sculpture, insculpture, carving, statuary, high relief, low relief, bas relief, relief, relieve, bassorilievo, altorilievo, mezzorilievo, intaglio, anaglyph, medal, medallion, cameo, marble, bronze, terra cotta, papier-mache, ceramic ware, pottery, porcelain, china, earthenware, cloisonne, enamel, faience, Laocoon, satsuma, statue, cast, glyptotheca, sculptured, v, in relief, anaglyptic, ceroplastic, ceramic, parian, marble, xanthian.