mix·ture
(mĭkśchər)
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin mixtūra, from mixtus past participle of miscēre, to mix.]
noun
- The act or process of mixing: an alloy made from the mixture of two metals.
- The condition of being mixed: the inevitable mixtures of urban neighborhoods.
- Something produced by mixing.
- One that consists of diverse elements: The day was a mixture of sun and clouds.
- A fabric made of different kinds of thread or yarn.
- Chemistry A composition of two or more substances that are not chemically combined with each other and are capable of being separated.
synonyms:
mixture, blend, amalgam, admixture, compound1composite These nouns refer to a combination produced by mixing. Mixture has the widest application: She routinely drank a mixture of tea and honey. “He showed a curious mixture of eagerness and terror” (Francis Parkman) Blend and amalgam imply that the original components have lost their distinctness: The novel is a fascinating blend of romance and realism. The comedian's act was an amalgam of incisive wit and unceasing good humor. Admixture suggests that one of the components is dissimilar to the others: a perfume containing an essential oil with a large admixture of alcohol. A compound constitutes a new and independent entity: The school's program is a compound of scholarship and athleticism. A composite has components that may retain part of their identities: a musical suite that is a composite of operatic themes.
