Dictionary
a•mal•gam
Pronunciation: (u-mal'gum), [key]—
n.
1. an alloy of mercury with another metal or metals.
2. an alloy that consists chiefly of silver mixed with mercury and variable amounts of other metals and is used as a dental filling.
3. a rare mineral, an alloy of silver and mercury, occurring as silver-white crystals or grains.
4. a mixture or combination:
His character is a strange amalgam of contradictory traits. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.