Alloy
/ˈælɔɪ/noun
A metal made by combining two or more elements, or the process of mixing metals.
Did you know?The word came into English through Old French from a Latin phrase often explained as “to the law,” because medieval metalwork was judged against the proper standard of purity and quality.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leg-
“to gather, collect, choose”
Latin
Latin
lex
“law”
Late Latin
Latin
alligāre
“to bind together; to attach”
Old French
Old French
aloi
“quality, standard, proportion; especially of metal”
Middle English
English
aloy
“standard of fineness in metal”
Modern English
English
alloy
“a mixture of metals or a metal combined with another element”