noun.
A small metal badge, usually with a ribbon attached, presented for distinguished service.
To decorate with a medal; confer a medal upon; present with a medal as a mark of honor.
noun.
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.