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mettle

Noun
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Courage and strength of character, especially under pressure. It is a somewhat literary word rather than everyday speech.

Detailed Definition
Mettle is an older literary word for a person’s spirit, courage, or toughness in a difficult situation. In this poem it points to the crew’s ability to stay calm and capable during the emergency.
Example
Example in poetry:
“But fate would test their mettle soon” uses mettle to mean courage, resilience, or spirited character; Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar asks, “What trash is Rome, / What rubbish and what offal?” while testing honor and resolve; “The storm tested the crew’s mettle” makes adversity reveal inner strength; Though pronounced like metal, mettle is the figurative noun for temperament
Additional Notes
The word mettle in the quoted line is less common in modern conversation and may need looking up.; Found in the poem, Speedbird 9 by Richard
Also Known As
Courage Fortitude Grit
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