# amalgam

> English word · Noun · IPA /əˈmæl.ɡəm/ · frequency rank #34,773

## Definitions
1. An alloy containing mercury.
2. A combination of different things.
3. One of the ingredients in an alloy.
4. An alloy of mercury used to fill tooth cavities.

## Etymology
From Medieval Latin amalgama (“mercury alloy”), from Arabic اَلْمَلْغَم (al-malḡam, “emollient poultice or unguent for sores”), from Ancient Greek μάλαγμα (málagma, “emollient; malleable material”), from μαλάσσω (malássō, “to soften”), from μαλακός (malakós, “soft”). Doublet of malagma. For the verb, compare French amalgamer.

## Common misspellings (10)
`aamlgam`, `amaglam`, `amalagm`, `amalgamm`, `amalggam`, `amalgma`, `amallgam`, `amlagam`, `ammalgam`, `maalgam`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/amalgam