constantan

American  

[kawn-stuhn-tan] / ˈkɔn stənˌtæn /

noun

1. an alloy containing approximately 55 percent copper and approximately 45 percent nickel, used for electrical resistance heating and thermocouples.

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constantan British  

/ ˈkɒnstənˌtæn /

noun

1. an alloy of copper (60 per cent) and nickel (40 per cent). It has a high resistivity that does not vary significantly with temperature and is used in resistors and, with copper, in thermocouples

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Etymology

Origin of constantan

First recorded in 1900–05; constant + -an