alloy

English Online Dictionary. What means alloy‎? What does alloy mean?

English

Etymology 1

From Anglo-Norman alai, from Old French aloi, from aloiier, from Latin alligō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈæ.lɔɪ/, /əˈlɔɪ/
• Rhymes: -ælɔɪ, -ɔɪ

Noun

alloy (countable and uncountable, plural alloys)

1. A metal that is a combination of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal, a base metal.
2. (archaic) A metal of lesser value, mixed with a metal of greater value.
3. An admixture; something added which stains, taints etc.
4. (figurative) Fusion, marriage, combination.

Derived terms

Translations

Etymology 2

From Old French aloiier (“assemble, join”), from Latin alligare (“bind to, tie to”), compound of ad (“to”) + ligare (“to bind”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əˈlɔɪ/, /ˈæ.lɔɪ/
• Rhymes: -ɔɪ

Verb

alloy (third-person singular simple present alloys, present participle alloying, simple past and past participle alloyed)

1. To mix or combine; often used of metals.
2. To reduce the purity of by mixing with a less valuable substance.

   to alloy gold with silver or copper, or silver with copper

3. (figurative) To impair or debase by mixture.

   to alloy pleasure with misfortunes

Translations

See also

• alloy on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Alloys in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)
• “alloy”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• Loyal, Yolla, loyal, yallo