ALLOY

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does alloy mean? 

• ALLOY (noun)
  The noun ALLOY has 2 senses:

1. a mixture containing two or more metallic elements or metallic and nonmetallic elements usually fused together or dissolving into each other when molten

2. the state of impairing the quality or reducing the value of something

  Familiarity information: ALLOY used as a noun is rare.

• ALLOY (verb)
  The verb ALLOY has 2 senses:

1. lower in value by increasing the base-metal content

2. make an alloy of

  Familiarity information: ALLOY used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ALLOY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A mixture containing two or more metallic elements or metallic and nonmetallic elements usually fused together or dissolving into each other when molten

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

alloy; metal

Context example:

brass is an alloy of zinc and copper

Hypernyms ("alloy" is a kind of...):

mixture ((chemistry) a substance consisting of two or more substances mixed together (not in fixed proportions and not with chemical bonding))

Meronyms (substance of "alloy"):

primary solid solution; solid solution (a homogeneous solid that can exist over a range of component chemicals; a constituent of alloys that is formed when atoms of an element are incorporated into the crystals of a metal)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "alloy"):

nickel-base alloy; nickel alloy (an alloy whose main constituent is nickel)

Carboloy (an alloy based on tungsten with cobalt or nickel as a binder; used in making metal-cutting tools)

steel (an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range)

cheoplastic metal (any alloy that fuses at low temperatures and can be used molding artificial teeth)

copper-base alloy (any alloy whose principal component is copper)

dental gold (an alloy of gold used in dentistry)

Duralumin (an aluminum-based alloy)

Inconel (a nickel-base alloy with chromium and iron; used in gas-turbine blades)

Invar (an alloy of iron and nickel having a low coefficient of thermal expansion; used in tuning forks and measuring tapes and other instruments)

Britannia metal (an alloy similar to pewter)

German silver; nickel silver (a silver-white alloy containing copper and zinc and nickel)

pyrophoric alloy (an alloy that emits sparks when struck or scratched with steel; used in lighter flints)

shot metal (an alloy that is 98% lead and 2% arsenic; used in making small shot)

Stellite (a very hard alloy of cobalt and chromium with cobalt as the principal ingredient; used to make cutting tools and for surfaces subject to heavy wear)

sterling silver (a silver alloy with no more than 7.5% copper)

tambac; tombac; tombak (an alloy of copper and zinc (and sometimes arsenic) used to imitate gold in cheap jewelry and for gilding)

Wood's alloy; Wood's metal (a fusible alloy that is half bismuth plus lead, tin, and cadmium; melts at about 160 degrees Fahrenheit)

heavy metal (a metal of relatively high density (specific gravity greater than about 5) or of high relative atomic weight (especially one that is poisonous like mercury or lead))

babbitt; Babbitt metal (an alloy of tin with some copper and antimony; a lining for bearings that reduces friction)

bearing metal; white metal (an alloy (often of lead or tin base) used for bearings)

type metal (an alloy of tin and lead and antimony used to make printing type)

white gold (a pale alloy of gold usually with platinum or nickel or palladium)

solder (an alloy (usually of lead and tin) used when melted to join two metal surfaces)

pot metal (an alloy of copper and lead used especially for making large pots)

pinchbeck (an alloy of copper and zinc that is used in cheap jewelry to imitate gold)

pewter (any of various alloys of tin with small amounts of other metals (especially lead))

electrum (an alloy of gold and silver)

fusible metal (an alloy with a low melting point and used as solder and in safety plugs and sprinkler fuses)

amalgam; dental amalgam (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)

Alnico (trade name for an alloy used to make high-energy permanent magnets; contains aluminum and iron and nickel plus cobalt or copper or titanium)

oreide; oroide (alloy of copper and tin and zinc; used in imitation gold jewelry)

22-karat gold (an alloy that contains 87 per cent gold)

18-karat gold (an alloy that contains 75 per cent gold)

Derivation:

alloy (lower in value by increasing the base-metal content)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The state of impairing the quality or reducing the value of something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

admixture; alloy

Hypernyms ("alloy" is a kind of...):

impureness; impurity (the condition of being impure)

• ALLOY (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they alloy    ... he / she / it alloys   
Past simple: alloyed   
Past participle: alloyed   
-ing form: alloying   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Lower in value by increasing the base-metal content

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

alloy; debase

Hypernyms (to "alloy" is one way to...):

devalue (lower the value or quality of)

Domain category:

metallurgy (the science and technology of metals)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

alloy (a mixture containing two or more metallic elements or metallic and nonmetallic elements usually fused together or dissolving into each other when molten)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make an alloy of

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "alloy" is one way to...):

blend; coalesce; combine; commingle; conflate; flux; fuse; immix; meld; merge; mix (mix together different elements)

Domain category:

chemical science; chemistry (the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions)

metallurgy (the science and technology of metals)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

A crystalline, inorganic compound composed of beryllium and aluminum in which beryllium increases the alloys thermal and electrical conductivity and emits toxic fumes of beryllium oxides upon heating.

(Beryllium-Aluminum Alloy, NCI Thesaurus)

A white colored, crystalline, inorganic compound composed of beryllium and copper in which beryllium increases the alloys thermal and electrical conductivity.

(Beryllium-Copper Alloy, NCI Thesaurus)

Beryllium hydroxide is mainly used to produce beryllium metal and alloys.

(Beryllium Hydroxide, NCI Thesaurus)

Beryllium fluoride is mainly used to produce beryllium metal and alloys and is also used in the production of glass and nuclear reactors.

(Beryllium Fluoride, NCI Thesaurus)

This process would give lunar settlers access to oxygen for fuel and life support, as well as a wide range of metal alloys for in-situ manufacturing.

(Scientists Find Way to Extract Oxygen from Moon Dirt, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

An alloy, typically a mix of silver, tin, and mercury, used in direct dental restorations.

(Amalgam, NCI Thesaurus)

It is a byproduct of zinc refining and is used to make batteries, pigments, plastics, alloys, and electroplate.

(Cadmium, NCI Dictionary)

Nickel compounds are used in industry for electroplating, nickel-alloy production, stainless steel production, in batteries, in electronics, in the ceramic industry and as catalysts.

(Nickel Compound, NCI Thesaurus)

Nickel monoxide is used in the electronics, ceramics, steel and alloy industries.

(Nickel Monoxide, NCI Thesaurus)

A unique numerical identifier assigned, by the Chemical Abstract Service (CAS), a division of the American Chemical Society, to chemical compounds, polymers, biological sequences, mixtures, and alloys.

(CAS Number, NCI Thesaurus)