Metallurgy
/ˌmɛtəlˈɜːrdʒi/noun
The branch of science and technology concerned with extracting and processing metals.
Did you know?The word comes from Greek roots for “metal” and “work,” and its earliest history is tied to the ancient crafts that blurred the line between practical smelting and mystical transformation.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
metallon + ergon
“metal + work”
Late Greek
Greek
metallourgia
“working metals; metalworking”
Medieval Latin
Latin
metallurgia
“metalworking, the art of metals”
16th–17th Century
English
metallurgie
“the art or process of working metals”
Modern English
English
metallurgy
“the science and technology of extracting and processing metals”
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