nickel silver

2 definitions found

nickel silver - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Nickel \Nick"el\, n. [G., fr. Sw. nickel, abbrev. from Sw.
     kopparnickel copper-nickel, a name given in derision, as it
     was thought to be a base ore of copper. The origin of the
     second part of the word is uncertain. Cf. Kupfer-nickel,
     Copper-nickel.]
     1. (Chem.) A bright silver-white metallic element of atomic
        number 28. It is of the iron group, and is hard,
        malleable, and ductile. It occurs combined with sulphur in
        millerite, with arsenic in the mineral niccolite, and with
        arsenic and sulphur in nickel glance. Symbol Ni. Atomic
        weight 58.70.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: On account of its permanence in air and inertness to
           oxidation, it is used in the smaller coins, for plating
           iron, brass, etc., for chemical apparatus, and in
           certain alloys, as german silver. It is magnetic, and
           is very frequently accompanied by cobalt, both being
           found in meteoric iron.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A small coin made of or containing nickel; esp., a
        five-cent piece. [Colloq. U.S.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Nickel silver, an alloy of nickel, copper, and zinc; --
        usually called german silver; called also argentan.
        [1913 Webster]

nickel silver - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  nickel silver
      n 1: a silver-white alloy containing copper and zinc and nickel
           [syn: nickel silver, German silver]