from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
- n. A flat piece of metal stamped with a design or an inscription commemorating an event or a person, often given as an award.
- n. A piece of metal stamped with a religious device, used as an object of veneration or commemoration.
- intransitive v. To win a medal, as in a sports contest: "We were the first Americans to medal” ( Jill Watson).
- transitive v. To award a medal to.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- n. A stamped metal disc used as a personal ornament, a charm, or a religious object.
- n. A stamped or cast metal object (usually a disc), particularly one awarded as a prize or reward.
- v. To win a medal.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
- n. A piece of metal in the form of a coin, struck with a device, and intended to preserve the remembrance of a notable event or an illustrious person, or to serve as a reward.
- transitive v. To honor or reward with a medal.
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- To decorate with a medal; confer a medal upon; present with a medal as a mark of honor.
- n. A piece of metal, usually circular in form, bearing devices (types) and inscriptions, struck or cast to commemorate a person, an institution, or an event, and distinguished from a coin by not being intended to serve as a medium of exchange.
- n. A small metal badge, usually with a ribbon attached, presented for distinguished service.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- n. an award for winning a championship or commemorating some other event
But in today's world the Beeb might perhaps win the title medal for being PC:
The term medal (medallia in Florence = 1/2 denier) is applied to pieces of metal, usually circular, which, though issued by a mint, are not intended as a medium of payment.
'You never know, Sol could be getting another title medal of his long career when they are handed out in May.'
Unauthorized claims to this medal is a FEDERAL CRIME.
Any false verbal, written or physical claim to the medal is a federal felony offense.
For Spillane, the medal is a good highlight for a career that has included one world title but many frustrating injuries.
Even if a medal is a replica, wearing it still violates federal law, Akrotirianakis told CNN.
I hope that the medal is a beer bottle cap suspended from a condom.
Much of this might not be a problem if there were a requirement to emulate awards for gallantry to the military which are always accompanied by a citation setting out the deed for which the medal is awarded or, in the case, for example, of the Distinguished Service Order, the nature of the services rendered that merit the award.
"This medal is the result of years of hard work from teams who came before us, who didn't have a chance to do this."