amalgam Meaning, Definition & Usage
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noun 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
dental amalgam.
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noun a combination or blend of diverse things
- his theory is an amalgam of earlier ideas
WordNet
A*mal"gam noun
Etymology
F.Definitions
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An alloy of mercury with another metal or metals; as, an amalgam of tin, bismuth, etc.✍ Medalists apply the term to soft alloys generally. -
A mixture or compound of different things. -
(Min.) A native compound of mercury and silver.
A*mal"gam transitive verb & intransitive verb
Etymology
Cf. F.Definitions
To amalgamate. Boyle. B. Jonson.