tombac

[ tom-bak ]

noun

1. an alloy, used to imitate gold, containing from 70 to 92 percent copper with zinc and sometimes tin and other materials forming the remainder.

tombac

/ ˈtæmbæk; ˈtɒmbæk /

noun

1. any of various brittle alloys containing copper and zinc and sometimes tin and arsenic: used for making cheap jewellery, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of tombac¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Dutch tombak, from Portuguese tambaca, from Malay tembaga “copper,” from Indo-Aryan (compare Hindi tambiyā “copper or brass vessel,” Sanskrit tāmraka “copper”

Word History and Origins

Origin of tombac¹

C17: from French, from Dutch tombak, from Malay tambâga copper, apparently from Sanskrit tāmraka, from tāmra dark coppery red

Example Sentences

When a small percentage of zinc is present, the colour of brass is reddish, as in tombac or red brass, which contains about 10%.

From Project Gutenberg

In this galley there was one cannon made of tombac, a precious sort of metal, which was valued at above 7000 ducats, and another cannon reckoned still more valuable on account of its curious workmanship.

From Project Gutenberg