What is "prince rupert's metal"

Prince \Prince\, n. [F., from L. princeps, -cipis, the first, chief; primus first + capere to take. See Prime, a., and Capacious.]

1. The one of highest rank; one holding the highest place and authority; a sovereign; a monarch; -- originally applied to either sex, but now rarely applied to a female.
   --Wyclif (Rev. i. 5).

   Go, Michael, of celestial armies prince.
   --Milton.

   Queen Elizabeth, a prince admirable above her sex.
   --Camden.

2. The son of a king or emperor, or the issue of a royal family; as, princes of the blood.
   --Shak.

3. A title belonging to persons of high rank, differing in different countries. In England it belongs to dukes, marquises, and earls, but is given to members of the royal family only. In Italy a prince is inferior to a duke as a member of a particular order of nobility; in Spain he is always one of the royal family.

4. The chief of any body of men; one at the head of a class or profession; one who is pre["e]minent; as, a merchant prince; a prince of players. ``The prince of learning.''
   --Peacham.

   Prince-Albert coat, a long double-breasted frock coat for men.

   Prince of the blood, Prince consort, Prince of darkness. See under Blood, Consort, and Darkness.

   Prince of Wales, the oldest son of the English sovereign.

   Prince's feather (Bot.), a name given to two annual herbs ( Amarantus caudatus and Polygonum orientale), with apetalous reddish flowers arranged in long recurved panicled spikes.

   Prince's metal, Prince Rupert's metal. See under Metal.

   Prince's pine. (Bot.) See Pipsissewa.

Metal \Met"al\ (? or ?; 277), n. [F. m['e]tal, L. metallum metal, mine, Gr. ? mine; cf. Gr. ? to search after. Cf. Mettle, Medal.]

1. (Chem.) An elementary substance, as sodium, calcium, or copper, whose oxide or hydroxide has basic rather than acid properties, as contrasted with the nonmetals, or metalloids. No sharp line can be drawn between the metals and nonmetals, and certain elements partake of both acid and basic qualities, as chromium, manganese, bismuth, etc.

   Note: Popularly, the name is applied to certain hard, fusible metals, as gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, lead, zinc, nickel, etc., and also to the mixed metals, or metallic alloys, as brass, bronze, steel, bell metal, etc.

2. Ore from which a metal is derived; -- so called by miners.
   --Raymond.

3. A mine from which ores are taken. [Obs.]

   Slaves . . . and persons condemned to metals.
   --Jer. Taylor.

4. The substance of which anything is made; material; hence, constitutional disposition; character; temper.

   Not till God make men of some other metal than earth.
   --Shak.

5. Courage; spirit; mettle. See Mettle.
   --Shak.

   Note: The allusion is to the temper of the metal of a sword blade.
   --Skeat.

6. The broken stone used in macadamizing roads and ballasting railroads.

7. The effective power or caliber of guns carried by a vessel of war.

8. Glass in a state of fusion.
   --Knight.

9. pl. The rails of a railroad. [Eng.]

   Base metal (Chem.), any one of the metals, as iron, lead, etc., which are readily tarnished or oxidized, in contrast with the noble metals. In general, a metal of small value, as compared with gold or silver.

   Fusible metal (Metal.), a very fusible alloy, usually consisting of bismuth with lead, tin, or cadmium.

   Heavy metals (Chem.), the metallic elements not included in the groups of the alkalies, alkaline earths, or the earths; specifically, the heavy metals, as gold, mercury, platinum, lead, silver, etc.

   Light metals (Chem.), the metallic elements of the alkali and alkaline earth groups, as sodium, lithium, calcium, magnesium, etc.; also, sometimes, the metals of the earths, as aluminium.

   Muntz metal, an alloy for sheathing and other purposes, consisting of about sixty per cent of copper, and forty of zinc. Sometimes a little lead is added. It is named from the inventor.

   Prince's metal (Old Chem.), an alloy resembling brass, consisting of three parts of copper to one of zinc; -- also called Prince Rupert's metal.