amalgam

amal·gam | \ ə-ˈmal-gəm

\

Definition of amalgam

1 : a mixture of different elements an amalgam of musical forms The crowd was an amalgam of young and old.

2 : an alloy of mercury with another metal that is solid or liquid at room temperature according to the proportion of mercury present and is used especially in making tooth cements Dentists have used silver-colored mercury amalgam (mercury mixed, about 50/50, with a combination of silver, tin, copper and other metals) to fill cavities for at least 150 years.— Jennifer Huget

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Examples of amalgam in a Sentence

a church that is an amalgam of traditional and modern architectural styles

Recent Examples on the Web Best pizza: For those times when less is not more, Capparelli’s steps in with the Supreme, a super-stocked amalgam of pepperoni, salami, sausage, hamburger, mushrooms, olives and onions under a thick blanket of cheese ($22.50 for a 16-inch pie). — Mike Sutter, ExpressNews.com, "52 Weeks of Pizza: Capparelli’s on Main restaurant is comfortable with pizza excess," 9 Oct. 2020 The People of Praise is a small, especially insular religious group with an unlikely amalgam of influences. — New York Times, "Inside the People of Praise, the Tight-Knit Faith Community of Amy Coney Barrett," 8 Oct. 2020 All of us seem to be suffering from this strange amalgam of malaise and mania. — Danielle Ofri, The New Yorker, "A Bellevue Doctor’s Pandemic Diary," 1 Oct. 2020 Dental amalgam fillings are a mixture of silver, tin, copper and mercury. — Jen Christensen, CNN, "FDA warns popular dental filling could cause health problems for some patients," 24 Sep. 2020 In their marrow is a music that’s a seamless amalgam of country, bluegrass, jazz and early rock-and-roll. — Washington Post, "‘Anacostia Delta’ dawns: Documentary explores life of D.C. guitarist Danny Gatton," 9 Sep. 2020 This season is no exception: a dreamlike amalgam of 18th-century tailoring, toile de jouy, Grecian prints and hand embroidery, in pink, cream, navy, and olive. — Alex Kessler, Vogue, "“There’s Something So Beautiful About an Almost-Secret Fashion Show”—Erdem Breaks Down His Spring 2021 Collection," 21 Sep. 2020 This recipe is an amalgam of several on the Internet. — Judy Walker, NOLA.com, "Check out these recipes for healthy snacks, whether you love crunchy, sweet or creamy treats," 9 Sep. 2020 Sofrito, an amalgam of aromatics and herbs that Spanish colonizers brought to the Caribbean, is what makes all Puerto Rican guisados shine. — Ruth Terry, Bon Appétit, "There’s No One Way to Make Habichuelas Guisadas—and That’s the Point," 28 Aug. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'amalgam.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

21 Oct 2020

Cite this Entry

“Amalgam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amalgam. Accessed 22 Oct. 2020.

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More Definitions for amalgam

amalgam

noun

English Language Learners Definition of amalgam

formal : a combination or mixture of different things

technical : a mixture of mercury and other metals used for filling holes in teeth

See the full definition for amalgam in the English Language Learners Dictionary

amalgam

noun

amal·gam | \ ə-ˈmal-gəm

\

Medical Definition of amalgam

: an alloy of mercury with another metal that is solid or liquid at room temperature according to the proportion of mercury present and is used especially in making tooth cements

Keep scrolling for more