Meaning & use
eutectic
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a nounchemistrytechnicalspecialist
Describing a mixture that melts and freezes at one fixed temperature, lower than the melting point of any part.
Grammar: Mainly used before a noun, as in a eutectic alloy or a eutectic point.
Patterns
- eutectic mixture
- eutectic alloy
- eutectic point
- eutectic temperature
A eutectic alloy melts at a single temperature, unlike most mixtures.
The solder used in electronics is often a eutectic mixture of tin and lead.
At the eutectic point, the liquid turns into two solid phases at once.
nouncountablechemistrytechnicalspecialist
A mixture or alloy that has a single, lowest melting point compared with its separate parts.
Grammar: Countable when it names a specific mixture: a eutectic, two eutectics.
Patterns
- form a eutectic
- a eutectic of something
- the eutectic composition
The two metals form a eutectic at a relatively low temperature.
This eutectic is widely used because it flows easily when heated.
Scientists studied the eutectic to understand how the alloy solidifies.
Word forms
| plural | eutectics |
|---|
Common combinations
- eutectic point
- The eutectic point marks the lowest temperature at which the mixture melts.
- eutectic mixture
- A eutectic mixture behaves like a pure substance when it melts.
- eutectic alloy
- The eutectic alloy is prized for its low melting temperature.
- eutectic temperature
- Below the eutectic temperature, the alloy is completely solid.
- form a eutectic
- Tin and lead form a eutectic that is useful in soldering.
Synonyms and how they differ
- low-melting
- Describes a substance with a low melting point, but it does not mean the mixture has one fixed melting temperature like a eutectic.
Word family
- eutectoid adjective
- Technical term for a similar solid-state reaction, but not the same as eutectic.
Commonly confused: eutectic or eutectic vs. eutectoid?
eutectic vs eutectic vs. eutectoid
Eutectic describes a liquid mixture that solidifies at one temperature; eutectoid describes a solid that transforms into two solids at one temperature.
Practice
Which phrase correctly completes the sentence: 'The alloy melts at a single, low temperature because it is a ______ mixture.'?
Choose one answer.
Eutectic describes a mixture that melts at one fixed, low temperature. Eutectoid is a similar but different solid-state term, eutrophic describes nutrient-rich water, and eucalyptus is a tree.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “eutectic”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.