mixture

views updated May 17 2018

mix·ture / ˈmikschər/ • n. a substance made by mixing other substances together: form the mixture into a manageable dough | shandy is a mixture of beer and lemonade. ∎  the process of mixing or being mixed. ∎  (a mixture of) a combination of different qualities, things, or emotions in which the component elements are individually distinct: she thumped the pillow with a mixture of anger and frustration the old town is a mixture of narrow medieval streets and 18th-century architecture. ∎  a person regarded as a combination of qualities and attributes: he was a curious mixture, an unpredictable man. ∎  Chem. the product of the random distribution of one substance through another without any chemical reaction, as distinct from a compound. ∎  the charge of gas or vapor mixed with air that is admitted to the cylinder of an internal combustion engine, esp. as regards the ratio of fuel to air: newer pilots often leave their mixture rich during an entire flight. ∎  (also mixture stop) an organ stop in which each key sounds a group of small pipes of different pitches, giving a very bright tone.

mixture

views updated Jun 08 2018

mixture In chemistry, two or more substances that retain their specific identities when mixed (such as air containing oxygen, nitrogen, and other gases). The identities remain separate no matter in what proportion or how closely the components are mixed. See also compound; solution

mixture

views updated May 23 2018

mixture XV. — F. mixture or L. mixtūra, f. mixt-, pp. stem of miscēre; see MIX and -TURE.