Also 6 aloye. [a. mod.Fr. aloi:—OFr. alei, retained in Norman as alai, allai, whence our earlier word ALLAY sb.1, which this Parisian form has since 1600 gradually displaced. Through the erroneous fancy that Fr. aloi was = à loi ‘to law,’ the word, meaning originally simple ‘combination, union,’ came to be used specially of the mixing of baser metal with gold or silver in coinage, so as to bring it to the recognized standard, and hence of the standard itself.]
I. literal.
1. The comparative purity or mixedness of gold or silver; fineness, quality, standard. = ALLAY sb. 3.
1604. E. G., trans. D’Acosta’s Hist. Ind., IV. xii. 245. Silver drawne with Mercurie, is so fine, that it never abates of two thousand three hundred and fourescore of alloy.
1685. Morden, Geogr. Rect., 396. The Mony of this Kingdom is of a good Alloy.
1871. Davies, Metric Syst., III. 65. The civil authority stamps its image, to authenticate its weight and alloy.
† 2. Agio of exchange (? originally an allowance for difference of standard). Obs.
1598. Florio, L’aggio, the aloye or losse of money by exchange, coyning, or banke.
1672. Marvell, Reh. Transp., I. 271. Much after the same current Rate and Standard: only there hath been some little difference in the alloy.
3. An inferior metal mixed with one of greater value; esp. that which is added to gold and silver coinage. = ALLAY sb. 2.
1719. W. Wood, Surv. Trade, 345. Half the Silver is taken out, and Copper or other Alloy put into the place.
1860. Froude, Hist. Eng., V. xxv. 109. Bad shillings, in which 4 ounces of pure metal were mixed with 8 of alloy.
1876. Rogers, Pol. Econ., xi. 4. Only a practised eye can detect the amount of alloy in an ornament professedly manufactured of gold.
4. The condition of combination between different metals melted together. (Without reference to their relative values.)
1827. Faraday, Chem. Manip., xx. 508. Making the alloy of the metal and the platina more complete.
1883. Nature, XXVII. 351/2. That peculiar and not very well understood form of association which metallurgists term an alloy.
5. A mixture of metals; a metallic compound, an amalgam. Formerly, A compound containing a baser metal. = ALLAY sb. 1.
1656. H. More, Ant. agst. Ath. (1712), Pref. 20. Whether this be that ancient golden Key … or one made of baser alloy.
1869. Roscoe, Chem., 185. In the alloys the metallic appearance and properties are preserved.
Native alloy: an alloy of osmium and iridium occurring with native platinum, called also Iridosmine.
1875. Ure, Dict. Arts, II. 918. The native alloy on account of its hardness is used to point metallic pens.
II. figurative.
† 6. Intrinsic standard or character, quality, temper, vein. = ALLAY sb. 6. (Cf. Fr. de bon aloi.) Obs.
1596. Carew, trans. Huarte’s Trial of Wits, 2nd Proeme. If thy wit be of the common and vulgar alloy.
1643. Sir T. Browne, Relig. Med., II. 13. A Soull of the same alloy as our owne.
1647. N. Bacon, Hist. Disc., ix. 27. To inhaunce the price of a Presbyter somewhat within the aloye of a Bishop.
1674. N. Fairfax, Bulk & Selv., 136. Workings of so lofty and refined an alloy.
7. Admixture of that which lowers the character or takes from the value. Hence concr. Alien element, anything that detracts from, impairs or sullies. = ALLAY sb. 4, 5.
1625. Bacon, Eleg. Sent., Wks. 1860, 193. There’s no fortune so good, but it has its alloy.
1712. Spect., No. 548, ¶ 4. Every one has in him a natural alloy, tho’ one may be fuller of dross than another.
1816. Miss Austen, Emma, I. i. 2. Disadvantages which threatened alloy to her many enjoyments.
1849. C. Brontë, Shirley, II. iii. 83. A base alloy of moral cowardice.
1863. Mrs. Jameson, Leg. Monast. Ord., 166. A face … so spiritualised, so refined from all earthly alloy.
