Meaning & use
mixture
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
Something made by putting different things together so that each one stays recognizable and can often be separated again.
Grammar: Countable for a particular combination (a mixture of salt and sand); the plural mixtures is common in science.
Patterns
- a mixture of something and something
Stir the mixture of flour and sugar until it looks even.
Sand and iron filings form a mixture that a magnet can separate.
The paint is a mixture of blue and yellow pigments.
nouncountable
A combination of different feelings, qualities or kinds of people that exist together.
Grammar: Usually singular and followed by of: a mixture of fear and excitement.
Patterns
- a mixture of something
She watched the launch with a mixture of pride and nerves.
The crowd was a lively mixture of students and retirees.
His reply was a mixture of apology and defiance.
nouncountablechemistry
In chemistry, a physical combination of two or more substances that are not chemically joined.
Grammar: Contrast with a compound, in which atoms are bonded: air is a mixture, water is a compound.
Patterns
- a homogeneous mixture
- a heterogeneous mixture
Salt water is a homogeneous mixture because it looks the same throughout.
Students separated the mixture by filtering it.
A mixture of gases fills the balloon.
Word forms
| plural | mixtures |
|---|
Common combinations
- a mixture of
- The soup is a mixture of lentils, carrots and spices.
- cake mixture
- Pour the cake mixture into a greased tin.
- heterogeneous mixture
- Granite is a heterogeneous mixture of minerals.
- stir the mixture
- Stir the mixture until no lumps remain.
- explosive mixture
- Gas and air can form an explosive mixture.
- a curious mixture
- The town is a curious mixture of old and new.
Synonyms and how they differ
- blend
- Blend suggests the parts have merged smoothly, while mixture allows each part to remain distinct.
- combination
- Combination is more general and can mean any joining of items, not necessarily mingled together.
- medley
- Medley suggests a lively variety of distinct elements, often in food or music, whereas mixture is plainer.
- compound
- A compound in chemistry has atoms bonded together, whereas a mixture does not.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: mixture or compound?
mixture vs compound
A compound is a pure substance formed by chemical bonds, while a mixture can be separated by physical means.
Practice
Which of these is a mixture rather than a compound?
Choose one answer.
Sand and sugar are physically combined and could be separated. Salt, water and carbon dioxide are compounds with chemical bonds.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mixture”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.