Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - zinc

 I. noun  Usage: often attributive  Etymology: German Zink  Date: 1651 a bluish-white metallic element that is ductile when pure but in the commercial form is brittle at ordinary temperatures and becomes ductile on slight heating, occurs abundantly in minerals, is an essential micronutrient for both plants and animals, and is used especially in alloys and as a protective coating in galvanizing iron and steel — see element table  II. transitive verb  (~ed or ~ked; ~ing or ~king)  Date: 1841 to treat or coat with ~ ; galvanize