Deadmelt

/ˈdɛdmɛlt/ noun

Definition

An archaic metallurgical term for metal that has cooled and hardened completely after pouring, or for a batch of metal that failed to properly smelt.

Etymology

From 'dead' (no longer active, finished) and 'melt' (liquefied metal or the process of melting). This technical term combined 'dead' meaning completed or inactive with 'melt' to describe metal that had ceased its transformation.

Kelly Says

Medieval and early modern metalworkers developed specialized vocabulary for every stage of metallurgy, and 'deadmelt' is one of the terms that disappeared as industrial processes became standardized and workers switched to more universal technical language.

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