electrum

[ ih-lek-truhm ]

noun

1. an amber-colored alloy of gold and silver used in ancient times.
2. an alloy composed of about 50 percent copper, 30 percent nickel, and 20 percent zinc.
3. German silver; nickel silver.

electrum

/ ɪˈlɛktrəm /

noun

1. an alloy of gold (55–88 per cent) and silver used for jewellery and ornaments

Word History and Origins

Origin of electrum¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin < Greek ḗlektron amber, alloy of gold and silver

Word History and Origins

Origin of electrum¹

C14: from Latin, from Greek ēlektron amber

Example Sentences

The Lydians began coinage by stamping with a punch each ingot or nugget of gold or silver, or a mixture of them called “Electrum.”

From Project Gutenberg

On her finger she wore a little ring made of a kind of brass, sometimes called electrum.

From Project Gutenberg

The ornaments represented in the drawings are of pure gold, or electrum, or silver, or copper.

From Project Gutenberg

The most ancient Lydian coins are likewise made of electrum.

From Project Gutenberg

Another ore of gold is the alloy with silver, or argental gold, the electrum of Pliny, so called from its amber shade.

From Project Gutenberg