electrum

[ ih-lek-truhm ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

an amber-colored alloy of gold and silver used in ancient times.
an alloy composed of about 50 percent copper, 30 percent nickel, and 20 percent zinc.
German silver; nickel silver.

electrum

/ ɪˈlɛktrəm /

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin < Greek ḗlektron amber, alloy of gold and silver

C14: from Latin, from Greek ēlektron amber

The Lydians began coinage by stamping with a punch each ingot or nugget of gold or silver, or a mixture of them called “Electrum.”

On her finger she wore a little ring made of a kind of brass, sometimes called electrum.

The ornaments represented in the drawings are of pure gold, or electrum, or silver, or copper.

The most ancient Lydian coins are likewise made of electrum.

Another ore of gold is the alloy with silver, or argental gold, the electrum of Pliny, so called from its amber shade.

April 19, 2024tortuous

[tawr-choo-uhs ]

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