PINCHBECK

pinchbeck

(adjective) serving as an imitation or substitute; “pinchbeck heroism”

pinchbeck

(noun) an alloy of copper and zinc that is used in cheap jewelry to imitate gold

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Named after Christopher Pinchbeck, an 18th century London watchmaker who developed the alloy.

Noun

pinchbeck (usually uncountable, plural pinchbecks)

An alloy of copper and zinc once used as imitation gold for cheap jewelry.

Adjective

pinchbeck (comparative more pinchbeck, superlative most pinchbeck)

(not comparable) Made of pinchbeck.

Sham; spurious, artificial; being a cheap substitution; only superficially attractive.

Source: Wiktionary


Pinch"beck, n. Etym: [Said to be from the name of the inventor; cf. It. prencisbecco.]

Definition: An alloy of copper and zinc, resembling gold; a yellow metal, composed of about three ounces of zinc to a pound of copper. It is much used as an imitation of gold in the manufacture of cheap jewelry.

Pinch"beck, a.

Definition: Made of pinchbeck; sham; cheap; spurious; unreal. "A pinchbeck throne." J. A. Symonds.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

3 July 2025

SENSE

(noun) the faculty through which the external world is apprehended; “in the dark he had to depend on touch and on his senses of smell and hearing”


coffee icon

Coffee Trivia

Contrary to popular belief, coffee beans are not technically beans. They are referred to as such because of their resemblance to legumes. A coffee bean is a seed of the Coffea plant and the source for coffee. It is the pit inside the red or purple fruit, often referred to as a cherry. Just like ordinary cherries, the coffee fruit is also a so-called stone fruit.

coffee icon