amalgam

[ uh-mal-guh m ]

/ əˈmæl gəm /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR amalgam ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

Words related to amalgam

admixture, alloy, amalgamation, composite, compound, fusion, mishmash, soup

Words nearby amalgam

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

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

Examples from the Web for amalgam

Spall says that, faced with the contradictions in the research, they created an amalgam of them.
Why Can’t Movies Capture Genius?|Clive Irving|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The speech began as an amalgam of scare tactics and bipartisan appeal.
Obama Warns of Big Layoffs Unless GOP Caves|Howard Kurtz|February 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The struggling technology company is an amalgam of businesses that could be worth more separately than they are together.
Why Hewlett-Packard Should Consider Breaking Up|Rob Cox, Robert Cyran|December 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Their Newt-defaming spot, “Serial Hypocrisy” is an amalgam of all the ads described above.
Newt Gets Attacked in Ads Ranging From Mediocre to So-So|Judith Grey|December 14, 2011|DAILY BEAST

What emerged from New Yorkers and local sportswriters was an amalgam of shock, disappointment, and disbelief.
Cliff Lee Signs With the Phillies: Get Over It, New York|Buzz Bissinger|December 15, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The amalgam is formed by melting the two metals together, and afterwards pouring them into cold water.
Popular Technology; Volume 2|Edward Hazen
Sometimes special difficulties crop up in the process of separating the gold from the amalgam.
Getting Gold|J. C. F. Johnson
An amalgam is next prepared by uniting the mercury and sodium.
Legal Chemistry|A. Naquet
So he and the foreman retorted the amalgam and melted the gold into bars.
Carmen Ariza|Charles Francis Stocking
Last clean-up I brought you two pounds of amalgam if it was an ounce.
Blue Goose|Frank Lewis Nason

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.

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.