amalgamate (v.)

1650s, "mix (a metal) with mercury," a back-formation from amalgamation, or else from the obsolete adjective amalgamate (1640s) from amalgam (q.v.). Originally in metallurgy. The figurative transitive sense of "to unite" (races, etc.) is attested from 1802; the intransitive sense of "to combine, unite into one body" is from 1797. Related: Amalgamated; amalgamating. Earlier verbs were amalgam (1540s); amalgamize (1590s).

also from 1650s

Entries linking to amalgamate

amalgam (n.)

c. 1400, "a blend of mercury with another metal; soft mass formed by chemical manipulation," from Old French amalgame or directly from Medieval Latin amalgama, "alloy of mercury (especially with gold or silver)," c. 1300, an alchemists' word, probably from Arabic al-malgham "an emollient poultice or unguent for sores (especially warm)" [Francis Johnson, "A Dictionary of Persian, Arabic, and English"], which is itself perhaps from Greek malagma "softening substance," from malassein "to soften," from malakos "soft" (from PIE *meldh-, from root *mel- (1) "soft"). The figurative meaning "compound of different things" is from 1790.

amalgamation (n.)

1610s, "act of compounding mercury with another metal," noun of action from archaic amalgam (v.) "to alloy with mercury" (see amalgamate). The figurative, non-chemical sense of "a combining of different things into one uniform whole" is attested from 1775. Especially of the union or merger of corporations under one direction.

amalgamize (v.)

1590s, "reduce to a soft mass by combination with mercury," from amalgam + -ize. Related: Amalgamized; amalgamizing.

Trends of amalgamate

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

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mix

1530s, transitive, "unite or blend promiscuously into one mass, body, or assemblage," a back-formation from Middle English myxte (early 15c.) "mingled, blended, composed of more than one element, of mixed nature," from Anglo-French mixte (late 13c.), from Latin mixtus, past parti

mingle

mid-15c., menglen, transitive, "mix, blend, form a combination of, bring (something and something else) together," frequentative of Middle English myngen "to mix," from Old English mengan (related to second element in among), from Proto-Germanic *mangjan "to knead together" (sour

change

c. 1200, "to alter, make different, change" (transitive); early 13c. as "to substitute one for another;" mid-13c. as "to make (something) other than what it was, cause to turn or pass from one state to another;" from late 13c. as "to become different, be altered" (intransitive),

modify

late 14c., modifien, "alter, amend, adjust, change the properties, form, or function of;" also "set limits, keep within the bounds of reason; choose a middle course," from Old French modifier (14c.), from Latin modificare "to limit, measure off, restrain," from modus "measure, ma

combine

early 15c., "to associate, unite, join two or more things together" (transitive), from Old French combiner (14c.) and directly from Late Latin combinare "to unite, yoke together," from Latin com "with, together" (see com-) + bini "two by two," adverb from bi- "twice" (from PIE ro

compound

late 14c., compounen, "to put together, to mix, to combine; to join, couple together," from Old French compondre, componre "arrange, direct," and directly from Latin componere "to put together," from com "with, together" (see com-) + ponere "to place" (see position (n.)). The une

concoct

1530s, "to digest" (a sense now obsolete), from Latin concoctus, past participle of concoquere "to digest; to boil together, prepare; to consider well," from assimilated form of com "together" (see con-) + coquere "to cook, prepare food, ripen, digest," from PIE root *pekw- "to c

blend

c. 1300, blenden, "to mix in such a way as to become inextinguishable, mingle, stir up a liquid," in Middle English chiefly in northern writers, from or akin to rare Old English blandan "to mix" (Mercian blondan) or Old Norse blanda "to mix," or a combination of the two; from Pro

aggregate

c. 1400, from Latin aggregatus "associated, united," past participle of aggregare "add to (a flock), lead to a flock, bring together (in a flock)," figuratively "attach, join, include; collect, bring together," from ad "to" (see ad-) + gregare "to collect into a flock, gather," f

alert

"on the watch," 1610s, from French alerte "vigilant" (17c.), from prepositional phrase à l'erte "on the watch," from Italian all'erta "to the height." The second element is from erta "lookout, high tower," noun use of fem. of erto, past participle of ergere "raise up," from Latin

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updated on September 18, 2022

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