Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🔩 Made of two metals 💰 Two-metal money system
bimetallic

bimetallic

1 7.3
Made from two different metals joined together, like a strip or coin that bends with heat
  • adjective
  • /ˌbaɪməˈtælɪk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : bimetálico
  • This bimetallic coin uses copper and nickel, showcasing an intricate design.

Examples

  • We manufacture chambers as well as bimetallic Atlas flanges and fittings that enable aluminum to outperform stainless chambers.

    Academic text (2004)

  • The new train model features a bimetallic body that enhances durability and performance.

  • Is it like some sort of bimetallic thing that pop when and they heat up?

  • I think this is a bimetallic switch, but what's it breaking the contact to and from because it's only this thing here.

  • Special emphasis in his career has been in the direction of bimetallic connections and design for thermal transient conditions.

    Academic text (1998)

  • We also manufacture a wide range of hermetic bimetallic products for both vacuum and cryogenics.

    Academic text (2004)

  • Our latest invention includes a bimetallic connector that improves electrical conductivity.

Synonyms

bimetal
vsbimetallic
  • Specialized
7.4

Having two different metals joined together

is the same in meaning but uses a different word form

Compounds

bimetallic strip
  • Specialized
5.5

A thin strip of two metals joined together that bends when heated

Surface Forms

bimetallic positive

Morphology

bimetallic = metallic (transparent) = bi + metal + ic

The productive prefix 'bi-' meaning 'two' attaches to the adjective 'metallic' (metal + -ic), so the meaning 'consisting of two metals' is directly derived.

Etymology

Bimetallic comes from bi- meaning 'two' and metal meaning 'metal', so it literally means 'two metals'. A helpful image is two different metals joined together that bend when heated because they expand at different rates, which is why a bimetallic strip is used in thermostats and sheets made from two metals behave this way.