Engineering English
Alloy
Materials Engineering · Last updated: July 30, 2026 · How this entry was written
Definition: A metallic material produced by combining a base metal with one or more other elements to obtain properties superior to those of the pure metal. The added elements modify strength, hardness, corrosion resistance, or workability.
Example in context
“The turbine blades were cast from a nickel-based alloy because pure nickel could not survive the sustained temperatures inside the combustion section.”
“Türbin kanatları nikel esaslı bir alaşımdan döküldü, çünkü saf nikel yanma bölümündeki sürekli sıcaklıklara dayanamazdı.”
Where engineers use it
Engineers select an alloy during material specification for almost every structural, thermal, or corrosive application. Alloy composition controls strength, toughness, and service temperature, so knowing alloy families lets an engineer match a material to loads, environment, and manufacturing route.
Antonyms: pure metal
Practice: can you use “Alloy” at work?
A materials laboratory gives a student two samples, one pure copper and one copper alloy, and asks them to explain why the alloy shows higher hardness and to identify the strengthening mechanism responsible.
Show a model answer
“We chose this alloy because pure metal lacks the required strength.”
“Alloy” in 21 languages
| English | Alloy |
|---|---|
| Turkish | Alaşım |
| French | Alliage |
| German | Legierung |
| Spanish | Aleación |
| Chinese | 合金 |
| Arabic | سبيكة |
| Portuguese | Liga metálica |
| Russian | Сплав |
| Japanese | 合金 |
| Italian | Lega |
| Vietnamese | Hợp kim |
| Hindi | मिश्रधातु |
| Thai | โลหะผสม |
| Indonesian | Paduan logam |
| Korean | 합금 |
| Bengali | সংকর ধাতু |
| Dutch | Legering |
| Swedish | Legering |
| Finnish | Metalliseos |
| Ukrainian | Сплав |
Frequently asked questions
What does Alloy mean in engineering?
A metallic material produced by combining a base metal with one or more other elements to obtain properties superior to those of the pure metal. The added elements modify strength, hardness, corrosion resistance, or workability. In Materials Engineering, the term carries a usage-frequency rating of 10/10 in the Engineering English library.
How do you pronounce Alloy?
Alloy is pronounced /ˈælɔɪ/ (IPA). The Engineering English app plays audio for the term and checks your pronunciation with speech recognition.
How is Alloy used in a sentence?
Example from an engineering context: “The turbine blades were cast from a nickel-based alloy because pure nickel could not survive the sustained temperatures inside the combustion section.”
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