amalgam

Meanings

Plural: amalgams

Noun

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.

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

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

Scrabble Score: 12

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

Words With Friends Score: 16

amalgam is a valid Words With Friends word