Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Amalgam \A*mal"gam\, n. [F. amalgame, prob. fr. L. malagma, Gr.
   ?, emollient, plaster, poultice, fr. ? to make soft, fr. ?
   soft.]
   1. An alloy of mercury with another metal or metals; as, an
      amalgam of tin, bismuth, etc.

   Note: Medalists apply the term to soft alloys generally.

   2. A mixture or compound of different things.

   3. (Min.) A native compound of mercury and silver.

Amalgam \A*mal"gam\, v. t. ? i. [Cf. F. amalgamer]
   To amalgamate. --Boyle. B. Jonson.

Source : WordNet®

amalgam
     n 1: an alloy of mercury with another metal (usually silver) used
          by dentists to fill cavities in teeth; except for iron
          and platinum all metals dissolve in mercury and chemists
          refer to the resulting mercury mixtures as amalgams
          [syn: {dental amalgam}]
     2: a combination or blend of diverse things; "his theory is an
        amalgam of earlier ideas"