Amalgam

//əˈmæl.ɡəm// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An alloy containing mercury. countable, uncountable
  2. 2
    a combination or blend of diverse things wordnet
  3. 3
    A combination of different things. countable, uncountable

    "[…] nor must we overlook, in quite recent times, the ingenious "Dukedog", a little 4-4-0 (officially 90XX class) whose Victorian lineaments arise from an economical amalgam of obsolete "Duke" and "Bulldog" components."

  4. 4
    an alloy of mercury with another metal (usually silver) used by dentists to fill cavities in teeth; except for iron and platinum all metals dissolve in mercury and chemists refer to the resulting mercury mixtures as amalgams wordnet
  5. 5
    One of the ingredients in an alloy. countable, uncountable
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  1. 6
    An alloy of mercury used to fill tooth cavities. countable, uncountable
Verb
  1. 1
    To amalgamate (something) with a thing. ambitransitive, archaic

    "gold t’amalgam with some six of mercury"

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Medieval Latin amalgama (“mercury alloy”), from Arabic اَلْمَلْغَم (al-malḡam, “emollient poultice or unguent for sores”), from Ancient Greek μάλαγμα (málagma, “emollient; malleable material”), from μαλάσσω (malássō, “to soften”), from μαλακός (malakós, “soft”). Doublet of malagma. For the verb, compare French amalgamer.

Etymology 2

From Medieval Latin amalgama (“mercury alloy”), from Arabic اَلْمَلْغَم (al-malḡam, “emollient poultice or unguent for sores”), from Ancient Greek μάλαγμα (málagma, “emollient; malleable material”), from μαλάσσω (malássō, “to soften”), from μαλακός (malakós, “soft”). Doublet of malagma. For the verb, compare French amalgamer.

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