zinc

In a sentence

• Le toit de la maison est recouvert de zinc.

  The roof of the house is covered with zinc.

  Here, 'zinc' refers to the material used for covering the roof. It is used in its literal sense as a metal.

• Allons prendre un verre au zinc du coin.

  Let's have a drink at the local bar.

  In this sentence, 'zinc' is used colloquially to refer to the bar counter, typically made of zinc in older establishments.

• Le zinc est un métal résistant à la corrosion.

  Zinc is a metal resistant to corrosion.

  This usage illustrates a scientific context where 'zinc' refers specifically to the element in the periodic table.