limaille

English

Etymology

French limaille

Noun

limaille (uncountable)

1. (dentistry, obsolete) Bits of waste metal mixed with bone, dust, etc.; lemel.
   • 1833, John Forbes, The Cyclopaedia of Practical Medicine:

     This absence of blood, which was in accordance with the external phenomena, led to the disuse of mercury, and to the substitution of the internal use of iron, ( limaille porphyrisée, ) in the dose of a “gros" daily, under the form of opiate, with tonics.

   • 1858, Transactions of the Odontological Society of Great Britain, page 19:

     [I]f, therefore, a measured half-pint of limaille be submitted to the process, however rich or poor in quality, four fluid ounces of hydrochloric acid and sixteen of water would be such proportions as I think would meet every case.

   • 1858, Quarterly Journal of Dental Science - Volume 1, page 379:

     I have with much pleasure listened to Mr. Bennett's paper on refining gold, and the reduction of limaille, but as I consider every dentist may not have the means of applying the dry process, allow me to state the mode I recommend, as being the less elaborate, and the less expensive. Limaille generally consists of gold, silver, iron, lead, tin, zinc, and bone filings.

French

Etymology

From limer +‎ -aille.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /li.maj/, /li.mɑj/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

limaille f (plural limailles)

1. metal filings

Related terms

• lime

Further reading

• “limaille”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.