Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Waste or impure matter.
- noun The scum that forms on the surface of molten metal as a result of oxidation.
- noun Worthless, commonplace, or trivial matter.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To remove dross from.
- To convert (lead) into dross or protoxid by melting in an oxidizing atmosphere. The operation is usually accomplished in a reverberatory furnace.
- noun Refuse or impure or foreign matter which separates from a liquid and falls to the bottom or rises to the top, as in wine or oil or in molten metal; sediment; lees; dregs; scum; any refuse or waste matter, as chaff; especially, and now chiefly, the slag, scales, or cinders thrown off from molten metal.
- noun In galvano-elect., an alloy of zinc and iron formed in the zinc-bath, partly by the solvent action of the zinc on the iron of the pot, but chiefly from the iron articles dipped, and from the dripping off of the superfluous amalgam as they come from the bath.
- noun Figuratively, a worthless thing; the valueless remainder of a once valued thing.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun The scum or refuse matter which is thrown off, or falls from, metals in smelting the ore, or in the process of melting; recrement.
- noun rare Rust of metals.
- noun Waste matter; any worthless matter separated from the better part; leavings; dregs; refuse.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun
Waste or impure matter - noun Worthless or trivial matter
- noun Residue that forms on the surface of a metal from
oxidation - noun The impurities in metal
- noun A waste product from working with metal
- verb transitive To
remove dross from.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun worthless or dangerous material that should be removed
- noun the scum formed by oxidation at the surface of molten metals
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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A good question at the moment might be whether 20% could be saved by cutting the deadwood dross from the top and de-ranking.
The Truth Behind The £100 Phonecalls « POLICE INSPECTOR BLOG Inspector Gadget 2010
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The challenge then is to separate the dross from the gold and refine what remains.
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The challenge then is to separate the dross from the gold and refine what remains.
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This dross is typical of the MS-centric drivel found on Sympatico-MSN.
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Often, the dross is expunged when excitement fades, leaving the fine kernel behind.
notes from the peanut gallery Dean Francis Alfar 2004
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Often, the dross is expunged when excitement fades, leaving the fine kernel behind.
Archive 2004-03-01 Dean Francis Alfar 2004
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When the dross is taken from the gold of the Christian, he will be for ever delivered from the furnace of trial.
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The expression carries in it a plain allusion to the refiner's art, in which the fire separates and distinguishes the dross from the gold and silver; as it also will silver and gold and precious stones, that will endure the fire, from wood and hay and stubble, that will be consumed in it.
Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume VI (Acts to Revelation) 1721
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Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer, Prov. xxv.
Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume IV (Isaiah to Malachi) 1721
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God sent them into captivity, not as dross is put into the fire to be consumed, but as gold to be refined.
Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume III (Job to Song of Solomon) 1721
lyuds commented on the word dross
bio-hazardous materials..
August 26, 2008