Definition
A finely powdered metal, typically aluminum or bronze, suspended in a paint or dope vehicle to give the finish a metallic appearance and to reflect light and heat away from the surface beneath.
Plain English
Tiny flakes of real metal mixed into paint. They make the finish look shiny and silvery, and they bounce sunlight and heat off the surface instead of letting it soak in.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft painting, fabric-covering work, and maintenance descriptions of surface finishes.
Derivation
From the Latin pigmentum, meaning 'paint' or 'colouring matter.' Metallic simply tells you the colouring matter is powdered metal rather than the more common mineral or chemical dye.
Why Pilots Care
On fabric-covered aircraft, an aluminum-pigmented dope coat protects the fabric underneath from ultraviolet sunlight, which would otherwise weaken and rot the fabric over time. The pigment is doing structural protection work, not just decoration.
Intuition Check
Do not assume metallic pigment only means a shiny color. In this context, it means the coating contains very fine metal particles.
Example Sentence 1
After applying the clear dope coats, the mechanic brushed on aluminum-pigmented dope to shield the fabric from sunlight.
Example Sentence 2
Metallic pigment in the coating helped reduce static buildup on the control surfaces.