Alloy

Al*loy", n. [OE. alai, OF. alei, F. aloyer, to alloy, alier to ally. See Alloy, v. t.] 1. Any combination or compound of metals fused together; a mixture of metals; for example, brass, which is an alloy of copper and zinc. But when mercury is one of the metals, the compound is called an amalgam.

2. The quality, or comparative purity, of gold or silver; fineness.

3. 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.

4. Admixture of anything which lessens the value or detracts from; as, no happiness is without alloy. "Pure English without Latin alloy." F. Harrison.

Al*loy", v. t. To form a metallic compound.

Gold and iron alloy with ease.
Ure.

Al*loy", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Alloyed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Alloying.] [F. aloyer, OF. alier, allier, later allayer, fr. L. aligare. See Alloy, n., Ally, v. t., and cf. Allay.] 1. To reduce the purity of by mixing with a less valuable substance; as, to alloy gold with silver or copper, or silver with copper.

2. To mix, as metals, so as to form a compound.

3. To abate, impair, or debase by mixture; to allay; as, to alloy pleasure with misfortunes.