amalgam
[ uh-mal-guh m ]
/ əˈmæl gəm /
noun
an alloy of mercury with another metal or metals.
an alloy that consists chiefly of silver mixed with mercury and variable amounts of other metals and is used as a dental filling.
a rare mineral, an alloy of silver and mercury, occurring as silver-white crystals or grains.
a mixture or combination: His character is a strange amalgam of contradictory traits.
Nearby words
amal., amalaka, amalek, amalekite, amalfi, amalgam, amalgam tattoo, amalgamate, amalgamation, amalia, amalthaea
Origin of amalgam
1425–75; late Middle English amalgam(e) < Middle French < Medieval Latin < dialectal Arabic al the + malgham < Greek málagma softening agent, equivalent to malak- (stem of malássein to soften) + -ma noun suffix
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for amalgam
British Dictionary definitions for amalgam
amalgam
/ (əˈmælɡəm) /
noun
an alloy of mercury with another metal, esp with silverdental amalgam
a rare white metallic mineral that consists of silver and mercury and occurs in deposits of silver and cinnabar
a blend or combination
Word Origin for amalgam
C15: from Medieval Latin amalgama, of obscure origin
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
Medicine definitions for amalgam
amalgam
[ ə-măl′gəm ]
n.
Any of various alloys of mercury with other metals, as with tin or silver, used for filling teeth.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Science definitions for amalgam
amalgam
[ ə-măl′gəm ]
An alloy of mercury and another metal, especially:
An alloy of mercury and silver used in dental fillings.
An alloy of silver and tin used in silvering mirrors.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.