alloy

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“
But this alloy is always made artificially by mixing pure silver with the due proportion of the copper; and for this purpose the silver must be obtained pure by the refiner.

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Definitions (34)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (7)

  1. noun A homogeneous mixture or solid solution of two or more metals, the atoms of one replacing or occupying interstitial positions between the atoms of the other: Brass is an alloy of zinc and copper.
  2. noun A mixture; an amalgam: "Television news has . . . always been an alloy of journalism and show business” (Bill Moyers).
  3. noun The relative degree of mixture with a base metal; fineness.
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Examples (50)

  • Sterling silver is 92.5 percent true silver the remaining 7.5 percent is comprised of an alloy which is usually copper and zinc, but not always. —  BeanRocket Blog Communities Lastest Posts
  • Hydrogen is generated spontaneously when water is added to pellets of the alloy, which is a mixture of aluminum and gallium. —  The Green Geek
  • When there is a corrodible metal or alloy, the presence of a dissimilar conductive material (cathode), electrolytes, and an electrical path between the anode and the cathode, we will have corrosion on our airplanes.
  • It will age the wine one year for each second the alloy is in contact with the wine. —  Purple Liquid: a wine and food diary
  • While that perv in the back is busy shooting HRP-4C's firm buttocks shaped from a glossy Stormtrooper alloy, the rest of us can marvel at the fact that Japan has produced a walking, talking fashion robot. —  Megite Technology News: What's Happening Right Now
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Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Alteration (influenced by French aloi) of obsolete allay, from Middle English alay, from Old North French allai, from allayer, to alloy, from Latin alligāre, to bind : ad-, ad- + ligāre, to bind; see leig- in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. from French aloyer, earlier allayer, from Old French aleier, alier, from Latin alligare, combine: see allay (of which alloy is the recent form, based on modern F.) and ally. The sense has been influenced by the erroneous etymology from French à loi: see alloy, n.
  2. from French aloi, earlier aloy, from Old French alei, Anglo-French aley, alay, later English allay, n. The sense has been influenced by the erroneous etymology from French à loi, to law, as if ‘that which is brought to the legal standard.’
 

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/əˈlɔɪ/
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