pinchbeck

[ pinch-bek ]

noun
  1. an alloy of copper and zinc, used in imitation of gold.

  2. something sham, spurious, or counterfeit.

adjective
  1. made of pinchbeck.

  2. sham, spurious, or counterfeit: pinchbeck heroism.

Origin of pinchbeck

1
1725–35; named after Christopher Pinchbeck (died 1732), English watchmaker and its inventor

Words Nearby pinchbeck

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use pinchbeck in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pinchbeck

pinchbeck

/ (ˈpɪntʃˌbɛk) /


noun
  1. an alloy of copper and zinc, used as imitation gold

  2. a spurious or cheap imitation; sham

adjective
  1. made of pinchbeck

  2. sham, spurious, or cheap

Origin of pinchbeck

1
C18 (the alloy), C19 (something spurious): after Christopher Pinchbeck (?1670–1732), English watchmaker who invented it

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012