Meaning & use
alloy
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A metal made by mixing two or more metals, or a metal with another element, to give it special qualities.
Grammar: Countable when referring to a type: Bronze is an alloy. Uncountable when talking about the material in general: The frame is made of alloy.
Patterns
- an alloy of something
- make/produce an alloy
- alloy wheels
Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon.
The parts are made from a light alloy.
This bike has alloy wheels.
verbtransitive
To mix metals together to make an alloy; also to make something less pure or less good by adding something else.
Grammar: Takes an object: alloy copper with tin. Often used in the passive: The gold was alloyed with silver.
Patterns
- alloy something with something
- be alloyed with something
The craftsman alloyed copper with tin to make bronze.
Their joy was alloyed with sadness at leaving.
Gold is often alloyed with other metals to make it harder.
Word forms
| plural | alloys |
|---|---|
| third person singular | alloys |
| past tense | alloyed |
| past participle | alloyed |
| -ing form | alloying |
Common combinations
- metal alloy
- The aircraft uses a strong metal alloy.
- alloy wheels
- He bought new alloy wheels for his car.
- alloy of copper and tin
- Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin.
- light alloy
- The frame is made of light alloy.
- alloy steel
- Alloy steel is used in construction.
Synonyms and how they differ
- amalgam
- Often used for an alloy of mercury with another metal, especially in dentistry.
- blend
- A general mixture; less precise than 'alloy' for metals.
Opposites
Word family
- alloyed adjective
- Mixed with another metal; also literary: mixed with sadness.
Commonly confused: alloy or alloy?
alloy vs alloy
Do not confuse with 'ally' (/ˈælaɪ/), which means a friend or partner, especially in war.
Practice
Bronze is an ______ of copper and tin.
Choose one answer.
'Alloy' is the noun meaning a metal mixture. 'Ally' means a partner; 'alloyed' and 'alloying' are verb forms and do not fit after 'an'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “alloy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.