ALLOY

ALLOY', verb transitive [Latin alligo, ad and ligo, to bind. Gr.]1. To reduce the purity of a metal, by mixing with it a portion of one less valuable; as, to alloy gold with silver, or silver with copper.2. To mix metals.3. To reduce or abate by mixture; as, to alloy pleasure with misfortunes.ALLOY', noun 1. A baser metal mixed with a finer.2. The mixture of different metals; any metallic compound; this is its common signification in chimistry.3. Evil mixed with good; as, no happiness is without alloy

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alloy. Alloy, n. a baser metal mixed with a finer; or the mixture of different metals; evil mixed with good

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Al‐loy″, n. [[OE. alai, OF. alei, F. aloyer, to alloy, alier to ally. See Alloy, v. t.]] 1. 1. Any combination or compound of metals fused together; a mixture of metals; for example, brass, which is an alloy of copper and zinc. But when mercury is one of the metals, the compound is called an amalgam.
2. 2. The quality, or comparative purity, of gold or silver; fineness.
3. 3. A baser metal mixed with a finer.
Fine silver is silver without the mixture of any baser metal. Alloy is baser metal mixed with it. Locke. 4. 4. Admixture of anything which lessens the value or detracts from; as, no happiness is without alloy. “Pure English without Latin alloy.” F. Harrison.