alloy

n. [ OE. alai, OF. alei, F. aloyer, to alloy, alier to ally. See Alloy, v. t. ] 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The quality, or comparative purity, of gold or silver; fineness. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A baser metal mixed with a finer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fine silver is silver without the mixture of any baser metal. Alloy is baser metal mixed with it. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Admixture of anything which lessens the value or detracts from; as, no happiness is without alloy. “Pure English without Latin alloy.” F. Harrison. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Alloyed p. pr. & vb. n. Alloying. ] [ F. aloyer, OF. alier, allier, later allayer, fr. L. aligare. See Alloy, n., Ally, v. t., and cf. Allay. ] 1. To reduce the purity of by mixing with a less valuable substance; as, to alloy gold with silver or copper, or silver with copper. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To mix, as metals, so as to form a compound. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To abate, impair, or debase by mixture; to allay; as, to alloy pleasure with misfortunes. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To form a metallic compound. [ 1913 Webster ]

Gold and iron alloy with ease. Ure. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. aloyage. ] The act or art of alloying metals; also, the combination or alloy. [ 1913 Webster ]