From Old Frenchmetal(“metal”), from Latinmetallum(“metal, mine, quarry, mineral”), from Ancient Greekμέταλλον(métallon, “mine, quarry, metal”), from μέταλλευειν(métalleuein, “to mine, quarry”), of unknown origin, but apparently related to μέταλλαν(métallan, “to seek after”), also of unknown origin.