amalgamate

American  

[uh-mal-guh-meyt] / əˈmæl gəˌmeɪt /

verb (used with object)

amalgamated, amalgamating

1. to mix or merge so as to make a combination; blend; unite; combine.

   to amalgamate two companies.

2. Metallurgy. to mix or alloy (a metal) with mercury.

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verb (used without object)

amalgamated, amalgamating

1. to combine, unite, merge, or coalesce.

   The three schools decided to amalgamate.

2. to blend with another metal, as mercury.

amalgamate British  

/ əˈmælɡəˌmeɪt /

verb

1. to combine or cause to combine; unite

2. to alloy (a metal) with mercury

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Other Word Forms

• amalgamable
  adjective
• amalgamative
  adjective
• amalgamator
  noun
• reamalgamate
  verb
• unamalgamable
  adjective
• unamalgamated
  adjective
• unamalgamating
  adjective
• unamalgamative
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of amalgamate

1635–45 amalgam + -ate ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

To amalgamate is to combine different things to create something new. Institutions — such as banks, schools, or hospitals — often join forces and amalgamate with one other. But other things — like musical genres — get amalgamated as well. The verb amalgamate originally referred specifically to the mixture of metals; now however, it refers to any mixing or blending. A school board might decide to amalgamate two schools into one school due to a decrease in the student population, but amalgamating their mascots would be impossible.