alloy

[ noun al-oi, uh-loi; verb uh-loi ]

/ noun ˈæl ɔɪ, əˈlɔɪ; verb əˈlɔɪ /

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noun

a substance composed of two or more metals, or of a metal or metals with a nonmetal, intimately mixed, as by fusion or electrodeposition.

a less costly metal mixed with a more valuable one.

standard; quality; fineness.

admixture, as of good with evil.

anything added that serves to reduce quality or purity.

verb (used with object)

to mix (metals or metal with nonmetal) so as to form an alloy.

to reduce in value by an admixture of a less costly metal.

to debase, impair, or reduce by admixture; adulterate.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of alloy

1590–1600; < Middle French aloi, Old French alei, noun derivative of aleier to combine < Latin alligāre to bind up, equivalent to al- al- + ligāre to bind (see ally, ligament); replacing earlier allay, Middle English < Anglo-French allai

SYNONYMS FOR alloy

4. fusion, blend, composite.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR alloy ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsun·al·loyed, adjective

Can be confusedallay alley alloy ally (see synonym study at allay)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for alloy

Fuses in use in electrical circuits generally are composed of some alloy of lead, which melts at a reasonably low temperature.
Cyclopedia of Telephony & Telegraphy Vol. 1|Kempster Miller
At the first stands the smelter, who with a ladle pours the alloy out of the forehearth into the moulds.
De Re Metallica|Georgius Agricola
Into this mould they pour the alloy out of the very crucible in which it has been melted.
Primitive Man|Louis Figuier
I found in navaldum, an alloy of aluminium, a light material possessing sufficient rigidity.
Life Movements in Plants|Sir Jagadis Chunder Bose

An unfused and, consequently, unabsorbed slag tends to retain small buttons of alloy or metal, and thus cause serious loss.
A Textbook of Assaying: For the Use of Those Connected with Mines.|Cornelius Beringer and John Jacob Beringer

British Dictionary definitions for alloy

alloy

noun (ˈælɔɪ, əˈlɔɪ)

a metallic material, such as steel, brass, or bronze, consisting of a mixture of two or more metals or of metallic elements with nonmetallic elements. Alloys often have physical properties markedly different from those of the pure metals

something that impairs the quality or reduces the value of the thing to which it is added

verb (əˈlɔɪ) (tr)

to add (one metal or element to another metal or element) to obtain a substance with a desired property

to debase (a pure substance) by mixing with an inferior element

to diminish or impair

Word Origin for alloy

C16: from Old French aloi a mixture, from aloier to combine, from Latin alligāre, from ligāre to bind

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for alloy

alloy

early 14c. "relative freedom of a noble metal from alloy or other impurities," from Anglo-French alai, Old French aloi, from aloiier (see alloy (v.)). Meaning " base metal alloyed with a noble metal" is from c.1400. Modern spelling from late 17c.

alloy

c.1400, "mix with a baser metal," from Old French aloiier "assemble, join," from Latin alligare "bind to, tie to," compound of ad- "to" (see ad-) + ligare "to bind" (see ligament); hence "bind one thing to another." Related: Alloyed; alloying.

Medicine definitions for alloy

alloy

[ ăl′oi′, ə-loi′ ]

n.

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.

Science definitions for alloy

alloy

[ ăl′oi′ ]

A metallic substance made by mixing and fusing two or more metals, or a metal and a nonmetal, to obtain desirable qualities such as hardness, lightness, and strength. Brass, bronze, and steel are all alloys.

Culture definitions for alloy

alloy

[ (al-oy, uh-loy) ]

A material made of two or more metals, or of a metal and another material. For example, brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. Alloys often have unexpected characteristics. In the examples given above, brass is stronger than either copper or zinc, and steel is stronger than either iron or carbon.