A hard, glossy coating applied to metal, ceramics, or teeth for protection and decoration. In anatomy, it refers to the hard outer layer of teeth.
From Old French 'esmail' from Frankish, ultimately from Proto-Germanic meaning 'to smelt'. The word entered English in the 15th century, originally referring to the art of fusing glass powder onto metal surfaces.
Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, even harder than bone, yet it can't regenerate once damaged - making it both our body's armor and its Achilles' heel. The decorative craft of enameling has adorned everything from medieval reliquaries to modern cookware.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.