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Glite Dictionary
metallography

metallography

8.8
The study of metal structure and properties using microscopes
  • noun
  • /məˌtæl.əˈɡrɑː.fi/
  • Specialized
translation icon : metalografía
  • As a metallurgist, my focus on metallography allows me to analyze the microstructure of metals.

Examples

  • You're in metallography.

    Silkwood (1983)

  • I got transferred to metallography.

    Silkwood (1983)

  • I work in metallography.

    Silkwood (1983)

  • Analytical services include Auger electron spectroscopy, XPS, SEM, X-ray, electron microprobe, profilometry, and metallography.

    Academic text (2004)

  • In my research project, we employed metallography to investigate the properties of alloy samples.

  • The course on metallography included hands-on training with advanced microscopes to study metallic structures.

Synonyms

micromorphology
vsmetallography
  • Specialized
9.7

The study of small parts of materials or tissues with a microscope

focuses specifically on metals and their properties using microscopic study

Surface Forms

metallography singular
metallographies plural

Morphology

metallography = metal (semi-transparent) = metallo + metal + graphy

The scientific suffix '-graphy' signals a field of description or study, but the specialized meaning is not fully obvious to a B1 learner.

Etymology

The word metallography joins metal, from the Greek metallon meaning 'metal', and -graphy meaning 'writing' or 'drawing', the same ending as in photography. So, metallography literally means 'writing or drawing metals', which is a clear image for its current meaning: the scientific study that shows a metal's tiny structure using microscopes.