mélange
[ mey-lahnzh, -lahnj ]
/ meɪˈlɑ̃ʒ, -ˈlɑndʒ /
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noun, plural mé·langes [mey-lahnzh, -lahn-jiz]. /meɪˈlɑ̃ʒ, -ˈlɑn dʒɪz/.
a mixture; medley.
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Words nearby mélange
melancholy, Melanchthon, Melanesia, Melanesian, Melanesian Pidgin English, mélange, melanic, Melanie, melanin, Melanion, Melanippus
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How to use mélange in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for mélange
melange
mlange
/ (meɪˈlɑːnʒ) /
noun
a mixture; confusion
geology a totally disordered mixture of rocks of different shapes, sizes, ages, and origins
Word Origin for melange
C17: from French mêler to mix. See medley
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Scientific definitions for mélange
mélange
[ mā-läɴzh′ ]
A metamorphic rock formation created from materials scraped off the top of a downward moving tectonic plate in a subduction zone. Mélanges occur where plates of oceanic crust subduct beneath plates of continental crust, as along the western coast of South America. They consist of intensely deformed marine sediments and ocean-floor basalts and are characterized by the lack of regular strata, the inclusion of fragments and blocks of various rock types, and the presence of minerals that form only under high pressure and low temperature conditions.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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