Amalgam
/əˈmæl.ɡəm/noun
A mixture or blend, especially of metals; in dentistry, a filling material containing mercury and another metal.
Did you know?The word entered English through medieval Latin and Arabic alchemical vocabulary, and its original use was tied to mercury’s uncanny ability to dissolve and recombine metals.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
malagma
“A softening substance, poultice, or emollient”
Late Latin
Latin
mālagma
“A softening or soothing mixture”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
al-maʿjam
“A soft mixture or amalgam used in alchemical contexts”
Medieval Latin
Latin
amalgama
“A mercury alloy or soft metal mixture”
14th Century
English
amalgam
“A mixture of mercury with another metal; later, any blend or combination”
Modern English
English
amalgam
“Any mixture or blend, especially of different elements or ideas”