white metaln.adj.
/wʌɪt ˈmɛtl/, U.S. /ˌ(h)waɪt ˈmɛdl/ A. n.
Any of various alloys of a silvery or light grey colour. Also: any of several metallic elements of a such a colour.The alloys typically contain one or more of the elements tin, copper, lead, zinc, and antimony; examples are Britannia metal, pewter, nickel silver, and babbitt metal.In quot. a1387: (probably) tin.In quot. 1562 the sense is unclear (perhaps = white lead n. 1).
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society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > metal > alloy > [noun] > other types of alloy
white metala1387
hard metal1577
series1807
aggregate1908
superalloy1920
a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1869) II. 19 Europa loueþ and desireþ þe white metal [L. æra..nivea] of þis lond.
1562 W. Bullein Bk. Compoundes (Names Compoundes & Apoticaries Rules) sig. I.ivv, in Bulwarke of Defence Consider that you firste haue pure cleane vesselles, as Iron or stone, auoide stinkyng Brasse.., and prepare white metalle, to make in your decoctions, with verie cleane water.
1654 T. Dunsterville Declar. concerning State-Farthings 5 There are other pretenders of the Common-Wealths good too; the Mettals are these, pure Copper of an intrinsick value, Copper and Brass mixt of the same value, Tin of the same value; and another white Mettal cozen jerman to Tin itself.
1672 W. Salmon Polygraphice iii. xxix. 246 Cast the remaining powder on Silver, or other white metal, and it will look like Gold.
1748 S. Richardson Clarissa VII. xxxi. 130 The principal device, neatly etched on a plate of white metal, is a crowned serpent, with its tail in its mouth.
1836 T. Thomson Outl. Mineral. II. 460 Rhodium is a white metal, of so difficult fusion, that hitherto it has been obtained only in grains.
1851 Rep. Select Comm. House of Lords Patent Bills 237 in Parl. Papers (H.C. 486) XVIII. 233 The other being for the use of white metal as a substitute for brass, to prevent friction or abrasion in the working of the axes of machinery.
1883 U.S. Patent 278,784 1/2 Silver or other white metal..was applied to the inferior metal and highly burnished before applying thereto the hard facing of nickel.
1916 House Beautiful Dec. 55/1 Perhaps the simplest of these are the wine-labels which were made with chains (of some white metal, not silver) to hang round the necks of decanters.
1947 Nucleonics Dec. 43/1 It may seem strange that the white metals, comprising lead, tin, cadmium and indium, should fall so far down the list.
1961 M. G. Say Electr. Engineer's Ref. Bk. (ed. 10) ii. 68 Water-cooling coils are incorporated in the white-metal of the guide bearings.
2004 Daily Tel. 3 June 30/5 It said that white metals, such as platinum and white gold, were growing more popular.
B. adj. (attributive).
Made of white metal. Also: coated or lined with white metal (cf. white-metalled adj. at white-metal v. Derivatives).
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society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > metal > alloy > [adjective] > relating to other specific alloys
white metal1710
zinc-iron1849
nickel–iron1891
1710 N. Blundell Diary (1895) 86 We went to see ym make White-Mettle Muggs.
1750 London Gaz. No. 8932. 1/2 A blue Waistcoat with white Metal Buttons.
1829 T. F. Dibdin Bibliogr. Antiquarian & Picturesque Tour (ed. 2) I. 138 In every public house, however mean, you see the white metal fork, and the napkin covering the plate.
1890 Amer. Homœopathist 16 329 The spectacle (pebbles) which I now wear were, when I bought them, fitted with white metal (not silver) frames.
1923 Pop. Mech. Mag. Mar. 398/2 (heading) Limestone bearings outwear white-metal bearings.
2001 Searcher May 49/2 Jack brings in loads of these corroded white metal medals from his fields in the Beverley area, fields where the old ash-pits were emptied.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2015; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.adj.a1387