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alloy

[ noun al-oi, uh-loi; verb uh-loi ]
/ noun ˈæl ɔɪ, əˈlɔɪ; verb əˈlɔɪ /
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See synonyms for: alloy / alloyed on Thesaurus.com
noun
verb (used with object)
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Origin of alloy

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

OTHER WORDS FROM alloy

un·al·loyed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH alloy

allay, alley, alloy , ally

Words nearby alloy

allowedly, allow for, alloxan, alloxuremia, alloxuria, alloy, alloyed junction, alloy steel, allozyme, all-pass, all-points bulletin
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

Words related to alloy

admixture, adulterant, adulteration, amalgam, amalgamation, blend, combination, composite, compound, debasement, denaturant, fusion, hybrid, intermixture, reduction, admix, amalgamate, combine, fuse, intermix

How to use alloy in a sentence

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

Medical 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.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Scientific 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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural 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.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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