Electre

/ɪˈlɛktrə/ noun

Definition

An archaic or alternative spelling of electrum, a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver that sparkles with electrical-like properties.

Etymology

Direct from Latin 'electrum' (amber) and Greek 'elektron'. The spelling variant 'electre' appears in older texts reflecting different romanization patterns of classical languages.

Kelly Says

Electre is the ghostly older cousin of the word 'electrum'—it survives mostly in very old chemistry texts and shows how spelling wasn't standardized when scientists were first naming things!

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