Definition of AMALGAM

amalgam

Plural: amalgams

Noun

  • A mixture or blend, especially an alloy of mercury.
  • 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
  • a combination or blend of diverse things
    • "his theory is an amalgam of earlier ideas"
  • An alloy containing mercury.
  • A combination of different things.
  • One of the ingredients in an alloy.
  • An alloy of mercury used to fill tooth cavities.

Verb

  • To amalgamate (something) with a thing.

Examples

  • Her final score was an amalgam of clever hooks and two-letter words.

Origin / Etymology

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.

Synonyms

dental amalgam, alloy, blend, combo, compound, conglomerate, mixture

Scrabble Score: 12

amalgam: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
amalgam: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
amalgam: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 16

amalgam: valid Words With Friends Word