Adjacent Words

Alloy definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ALLOY', v.t. [L. alligo, ad and ligo, to bind. Gr.]
1. To reduce the purity of a metal, by mixing with it a portion of one less valuable; as, to alloy gold with silver, or silver with copper.
2. To mix metals.
3. To reduce or abate by mixture; as, to alloy pleasure with misfortunes.
ALLOY', n.
1. A baser metal mixed with a finer.
2. The mixture of different metals; any metallic compound; this is its common signification in chimistry.
3. Evil mixed with good; as, no happiness is without alloy.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a mixture containing two or more metallic elements or metallic and nonmetallic elements usually fused together or dissolving into each other when molten; "brass is an alloy of zinc and copper" [syn: alloy, metal]
2: the state of impairing the quality or reducing the value of something [syn: admixture, alloy] v
1: lower in value by increasing the base-metal content [syn: debase, alloy]
2: make an alloy of

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: French aloi, from Old French alei, from aleir to combine, from Latin alligare to bind — more at ally Date: 1604 1. the degree of mixture with base metals ; fineness 2. a substance composed of two or more metals or of a metal and a nonmetal intimately united usually by being fused together and dissolving in each other when molten; also the state of union of the components 3. a. an admixture that lessens value b. an impairing alien element 4. a compound, mixture, or union of different things <an ethnic alloy of many peoples> 5. archaic a metal mixed with a more valuable metal to give durability or some other desired quality II. Date: 1661 transitive verb 1. a. temper, moderate b. to impair or debase by admixture 2. to reduce the purity of by mixing with a less valuable metal 3. to mix so as to form an alloy intransitive verb to lend itself to being alloyed <iron alloys well>

Britannica Concise

Metallic substance composed of two or more elements, as either a mixture, compound, or solid solution. The components of alloys are ordinarily themselves metals, though carbon is an essential nonmetal component of steel. Alloys are usually produced by melting the mixture of ingredients. The value of alloys was discovered in very ancient times; brass (copper and zinc) and bronze (copper and tin) were especially important. Today the most important are the alloy steels, which have a wide range of special properties, incl. hardness, toughness, corrosion resistance, magnetizability, and workability.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a mixture of two or more metals, e.g. brass (a mixture of copper and zinc). 2 an inferior metal mixed esp. with gold or silver. --v.tr. 1 mix (metals). 2 debase (a pure substance) by admixture. 3 moderate. Etymology: F aloi (n.), aloyer (v.) f. OF aloier, aleier combine f. L alligare bind

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Alloy Al*loy", v. t. To form a metallic compound. Gold and iron alloy with ease. --Ure.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Alloy Al*loy", n. [OE. alai, OF. alei, F. aloyer, to alloy, alier to ally. See Alloy, v. t.] 1. Any combination or compound of metals fused together; a mixture of metals; for example, brass, which is an alloy of copper and zinc. But when mercury is one of the metals, the compound is called an amalgam. 2. The quality, or comparative purity, of gold or silver; fineness. 3. A baser metal mixed with a finer. Fine silver is silver without the mixture of any baser metal. Alloy is baser metal mixed with it. --Locke. 4. Admixture of anything which lessens the value or detracts from; as, no happiness is without alloy. ``Pure English without Latin alloy.'' --F. Harrison.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Alloy Al*loy", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Alloyed; p. pr. & vb. n. Alloying.] [F. aloyer, OF. alier, allier, later allayer, fr. L. aligare. See Alloy, n., Ally, v. t., and cf. Allay.] 1. To reduce the purity of by mixing with a less valuable substance; as, to alloy gold with silver or copper, or silver with copper. 2. To mix, as metals, so as to form a compound. 3. To abate, impair, or debase by mixture; to allay; as, to alloy pleasure with misfortunes.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(alloys) An alloy is a metal that is made by mixing two or more types of metal together. Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin... N-MASS

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a-loi' (bedhil): In Isa 1:25 the Revised Version, margin; translated "tin" in the text. Elsewhere in both versions bedhil is translated TIN (which see).

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Combination (of metals), metallic compound, amalgam (in case mercury is one metal), alloyage. 2. Baser metal (mixed with finer). 3. Baser element or ingredient (in anything), admixture, adulteration, deterioration, diminution, decrement, drawback, depreciation, impairment, debasement, detraction, disparagement. II. v. a. 1. Admix (a metal with a baser), reduce the value, debase. 2. Admix, deteriorate, etc. See preceding noun.

Moby Thesaurus

Carboloy, Duralumin, Duriron, German silver, Monel Metal, Muntz metal, Stellite, Swedish steel, admix, admixture, adulterate, aggregate, allay, alloy iron, alloy steel, alloyage, alnico, alter, amalgam, amalgamate, amalgamation, babbitt, bell metal, bemingle, blend, brass, bronze, bush metal, canker, carbon steel, case-hardened steel, cast iron, change, cheapen, chisel steel, chrome-nickel steel, cinder pig, coalesce, coarsen, coin nickel, coin silver, combination, combine, combo, commingle, commix, commixture, compose, composite, composition, compound, concoct, concoction, confection, confound, conglomerate, constantan, contaminate, corrupt, cupronickel, damask, debase, debauch, decarbonized iron, defile, deflower, degenerate, degrade, denature, dental gold, deprave, desecrate, despoil, devalue, die steel, diminish, distort, drill steel, elinvar, emulsify, ensemble, fuse, fuse metal, fusion, galvanized iron, gilding metal, graphite steel, green gold, grid metal, gun metal, hard lead, hash, high brass, high-speed steel, homogenize, hot-work steel, immingle, immix, immixture, impair, infect, integrate, interblend, interfusion, interlace, interlard, intermingle, intermix, intermixture, intertwine, interweave, invar, jumble, knead, leaded bronze, magma, manganese bronze, merge, mingle, mingle-mangle, misuse, mix, mix up, mixture, moderate, modify, naval brass, nickel bronze, nickel silver, paste, pervert, pewter, phosphor bronze, pig, pinchbeck, poison, pollute, prostitute, ravage, ravish, red brass, rose metal, scramble, shot metal, shuffle, silicon bronze, silicon steel, solder, spiegeleisen, stainless steel, steel, sterling silver, stir up, structural iron, syncretize, taint, temper, throw together, tombac, tool steel, toss together, tula metal, twist, type metal, ulcerate, violate, vitiate, vulgarize, warp, white gold, white metal, work, wrought iron, yellow brass, yellow metal