tombac
[ tom-bak ]
/ ˈtɒm bæk /
noun
an alloy, used to imitate gold, containing from 70 to 92 percent copper with zinc and sometimes tin and other materials forming the remainder.
Also
tambac.
Origin of tombac
1595–1605; < Dutch
tombak < Portuguese
tambaca < Malay
tembaga copper < Indo-Aryan (compare Hindi
tambiyā copper or brass vessel, Sanskrit
tāmraka copper
Words nearby tombac
tomato fruitworm,
tomato hornworm,
tomb,
tomb of the unknowns,
tomba,
tombac,
tombalbaye,
tombaugh,
tombigbee,
tombola,
tombolo
Example sentences from the Web for tombac
When a small percentage of zinc is present, the colour of brass is reddish, as in tombac or red brass, which contains about 10%.
British Dictionary definitions for tombac
tombac
tambac (ˈtæmbæk)
/ (ˈtɒmbæk) /
noun
any of various brittle alloys containing copper and zinc and sometimes tin and arsenic: used for making cheap jewellery, etc
Word Origin for tombac
C17: from French, from Dutch
tombak, from Malay
tambâga copper, apparently from Sanskrit
tāmraka, from
tāmra dark coppery red