amalgam

noun amal·gam \ ə-ˈmal-gəm \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

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

See amalgam defined for English-language learners

See amalgam defined for kids

Examples of amalgam in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of amalgam from the Web

Just north of downtown, the Roosevelt District is an amalgam of older, relict neighborhoods.

— michael kiefer, azcentral, "Why downtown Phoenix's problem with transients defies easy answers," 7 Apr. 2018
His latest amalgam — the simplest and most balanced — is an eye-teasing sandwich of contrasting formalist strategies.

— roberta smith, martha schwendener, jason farago and will heinrich, New York Times, "What to See in New York Art Galleries This Week," 7 Feb. 2018
This involves removing the bulk of the tooth and then filling what’s left with amalgam.

— david cox /, NBC News, "The next revolution in dental care is about to begin," 15 Jan. 2018
An amalgam of real-world rappers—Lil Yachty, Chance the Rapper, and maybe even Glover’s hip-hop persona Childish Gambino circa 2011—he’s goofy and positive and straight-edge, but also secretly cutthroat.

— spencer kornhaber, The Atlantic, "Atlanta's Perfect Satire of the Music Industry in 2018," 20 Mar. 2018
This one, an amalgam of several disturbances and the original coastal storm that began pestering the region on Tuesday, would be the fourth significant nor’easter to affect the region since March 2.

— anthony r. wood, Philly.com, "Snow records in trouble as wild March takes a wilder turn," 20 Mar. 2018
An amalgam of textures, tones and tempos, the 13-track opus delivers plenty of ear candy for guitar nerds to salivate over, but real heart — often a broken one — lies underneath its mazes of synth, stately piano and spaceship blips and beeps.

— janine schaults, chicagotribune.com, "Been-everywhere producer Jonathan Wilson on his 'do-or-die' new recording," 26 Feb. 2018
Turkey has always been a hot spot for trade, located between Europe and Asia, so its food is a delightful amalgam of influences from both areas.

— anna thomas bates, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Turkish recipes a popular search topic," 10 Jan. 2018
In 2016, Trump was able to cobble together a coalition of these voters and working-class ones by pushing an amalgam of conservative and (relatively) liberal positions.

— alex shephard, The New Republic, "The 2018 midterms are looking great for Democrats: A continuing series.," 14 Mar. 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of amalgam

Middle English amalgame, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin amalgama

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

amalgam Synonyms

Other Chemical Engineering Terms

alkali, cation, decant, hygroscopic, isotope, oxidize, slurry, solute, viscous

AMALGAM Defined for English Language Learners

amalgam

noun

Definition of amalgam for English Language Learners

: a combination or mixture of different things
: a mixture of mercury and other metals used for filling holes in teeth

Medical 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