speculum metal


noun
  1. any of several bronze alloys with a high tin content, often containing other materials, as silver, brass, lead, zinc, or arsenic, used for making mirrors and reflectors.

Origin of speculum metal

1
First recorded in 1790–1800

Words Nearby speculum metal

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How to use speculum metal in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for speculum metal

speculum metal

noun
  1. a white hard brittle corrosion-resistant alloy of copper (55–70 per cent) and tin with smaller amounts of other metals. It takes a high polish and is used for mirrors, lamp reflectors, ornamental ware, etc

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