amalgam

amalgam
    n 1: 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 [syn:
         {amalgam}, {dental amalgam}]
    2: a combination or blend of diverse things; "his theory is an
       amalgam of earlier ideas"
    

amalgam \a*mal"gam\ ([.a]*m[a^]l"gam), n. [F. amalgame, prob.
   fr. L. malagma, Gr. ma`lagma, emollient, plaster, poultice,
   fr. mala`ssein to make soft, fr. malako`s soft.]
   1. An alloy of mercury with another metal or metals; as, an
      amalgam of tin, bismuth, etc.
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   Note: Medalists apply the term to soft alloys generally.
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   2. A mixture or compound of different things.
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   3. (Min.) A native compound of mercury and silver.
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amalgam \a*mal"gam\, v. t. & i. [Cf. F. amalgamer]
   To amalgamate. --Boyle. --B. Jonson.
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22 Moby Thesaurus words for "amalgam":
      admixture, alloy, alloyage, amalgamation, blend, combination,
      combo, commixture, composite, composition, compound, concoction,
      confection, ensemble, fusion, immixture, interfusion, intermixture,
      magma, mix, mixture, paste