Alloy

v. t. [imp. & p. p. ALLOYED; p. pr. & vb. n. ALLOYING.] [Fr. aloi, loi, good alloy, the goodness of metal that is to be coined into money, a fixed standard of gold and silver, Sp. ley, It. lega: v. Fr. aloyer, Sp. alear, It. allegare, from Lat. lex, law; ad legem, according to law. This word has been confounded with allay, q. v., and the signification of the latter attributed to it.]

1Sense 1. To reduce the purity of by mixing with a less valuable substance; as, to alloy gold with silver, or silver with copper.

2Sense 2. To abate, impair, or corrupt; as, to alloy pleasure with misfortunes.

n. [See supra.] 1. Any compound of two or more metals, as of copper and zinc to form brass. When mercury is one of the metals, the compound is called an amalgam.

2Sense 2. A baser metal mixed with a finer.

Fine silver is silver without the mixture of any baser metal. Alloy is baser metal mixed with it. Locke.

3Sense 3. Evil mixed with good; as, no happiness is without alloy. Atterbury.