metalike

Metalike is an adjective used to describe something that resembles or behaves like metal. It commonly signals properties associated with metals, such as a metallic luster, high reflectivity, or conduction of electricity or heat. It is a descriptive, not a formal scientific classification, and its exact meaning depends on context.

In geology and mineralogy, metalike often refers to the appearance—minerals with a metallic luster or opaque, shiny surfaces may be described as metalike, regardless of whether they contain metallic elements in bulk. In materials science, metalike can describe materials engineered to mimic metal properties without being metal, such as conductive polymers or metal-like coatings and composites that display notable conductivity or shine.

In design and art, metalike finishes reproduce the look of metal using paints, foils, or deposition processes, yielding a metal-like sheen on non-metal substrates.

Etymology and usage: formed from metal + like; the form appears mostly in modern English as a descriptive term. Related terms include metallic and metallike, though usage varies by field.