ALLOY.
Synonyms:
| admixture, | adulteration, | debasement, | deterioration. |
Alloy may be either some admixture of baser with precious metal, as for giving hardness to coin or the like, or it may be a compound or mixture of two or more metals. Adulteration, debasement, and deterioration are always used in the bad sense; admixture is neutral, and may be good or bad; alloy is commonly good in the literal sense. An excess of alloy virtually amounts to adulteration; but adulteration is now mostly restricted to articles used for food, drink, medicine, and kindred uses. In the figurative sense, as applied to character, etc., alloy is unfavorable, because there the only standard is perfection.
ALLUDE.
Synonyms:
| advert, | indicate, | intimate, | point, | signify, |
| hint, | insinuate, | mention, | refer, | suggest. |
| imply, | ||||
Advert, mention, and refer are used of language that more or less distinctly utters a certain thought; the others of language from which it may be inferred. We allude to a matter slightly, perhaps by a word or phrase, as it were in byplay; we advert to it when we turn from our path to treat it; we refer to it by any clear utterance that distinctly turns the mind or attention to it; as, marginal figures refer to a parallel passage; we mention a thing by explicit word, as by naming it. The speaker adverted to the recent disturbances and the remissness of certain public officers; tho he mentioned no name, it was easy to see to whom he alluded. One may hint at a thing in a friendly way, but what is insinuated is always unfavorable, generally both hostile and cowardly. One may indicate his wishes, intimate his plans, imply[37] his opinion, signify his will, suggest a course of action. Compare [SUGGESTION].