tombac

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: tom=bac

CIDE DICTIONARY

tombac, n. [Pg. tambaca,tambaque, fr. Malay tambāga copper; cf. Skr. tāmraka; cf. F. tombac.].

 An alloy of copper and zinc, resembling brass, and containing about 84 per cent of copper; -- called also German brass or Dutch brass. It is very malleable and ductile, and when beaten into thin leaves is sometimes called Dutch metal. The addition of arsenic makes white tombac.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

tombac, n. an alloy of copper and zinc used esp. as material for cheap jewellery.

Etymology

F f. Malay tambaga copper