Definition

1. Noun:
   • A solid piece of metal shaped into a long, rigid, typically rectangular form: A "metal bar" is a piece of metal that has been cast, rolled, or forged into a straight, solid block with a uniform cross-section, designed for structural use, fabrication, or as a raw material.

Usage

• The term "metal bar" refers specifically to the object itself as a piece of material. It is commonly used in contexts like construction, manufacturing, and metallurgy.
• It functions as a countable noun (e.g., a bar, two bars).

Examples

• Noun:
  • The blacksmith heated the metal bar in the forge before shaping it.
  • The construction required several metal bars to reinforce the concrete.
  • We stock metal bars in various grades of steel and aluminum.

Advanced Usage

• "Bar stock": This is a related industrial term referring to metal bars as a category of raw material supplied in standard shapes and sizes.
  • The machinist ordered a length of round bar stock to make the new part.

Variants and Related Words

• Ingot (n): A block of cast metal, often larger and less uniform in shape than a bar, typically resulting from an initial casting process.
  • The molten steel was poured into molds to form ingots.
• Rod (n): A thin, straight bar of metal, often with a circular cross-section.
  • He used a steel rod to reinforce the structure.
• Billet (n): A semi-finished piece of metal, often a bar, with a square or rectangular cross-section, intended for further rolling or forging.
  • The billet was reheated and rolled into a long bar.

Synonyms

• Metal beam: Emphasizes a bar used for structural support.
• Metal slab: Typically refers to a flat, thick, rectangular piece of metal, wider than a bar.

Related Phrases

• Reinforcing bar (rebar) (n): A specific type of steel bar with ridges, used to strengthen concrete.
  • The foundation was laid with a grid of reinforcing bar.
• Crowbar (n): A tool consisting of a metal bar with a flattened end, used as a lever.
  • He used a crowbar to pry open the wooden crate.

Noun

1. metal that is cast in the shape of a block for convenient handling