Britannia metal

American  

Or britannia metal

noun

1. a white alloy of tin, antimony, and copper in varying proportions, sometimes with small amounts of zinc, lead, and bismuth, used for tableware and as an antifriction material.

---

Britannia metal British  

noun

1. an alloy of low melting point consisting of tin with 5–10 per cent antimony, 1–3 per cent copper, and sometimes small quantities of zinc, lead, or bismuth: used for decorative purposes and for bearings

---

Etymology

Origin of Britannia metal

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

Within a few years the academy switched to a lighter tin-based alloy known as Britannia metal, plated in layers of copper, nickel silver and gold.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026

“I believe you they dread him. Not but what he’s artful, even in his defiance of them. No silver, sir. Britannia metal, every spoon.”

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

"Will you sit up, cousin?" said the lady somewhat dryly, after a minute's pause, as her handmaid set a Britannia metal tea- pot on the board.

From Hills of the Shatemuc by Warner, Susan

The invention of Britannia metal speedily followed that of plating.

From Rides on Railways by Sidney, Samuel

Britannia metal and pewter spoons have been sent to the melting- pot, and iron forks have given place to nickel and silver ones.

From Country Life in Canada Fifty Years Ago Personal recollections and reminiscences of a sexagenarian by Haight, Canniff