PINCHBECK


Meaning of PINCHBECK in English

I. ˈpinchˌbek noun

( -s )

Etymology: after Christopher Pinchbeck died 1732 English watchmaker who invented it

1. : an alloy of copper and zinc used especially to imitate gold in cheap jewelry and ordinarily containing 10 to 15 percent of zinc

2. : something that is counterfeit or spurious

II. adjective

1. : made of pinchbeck

2. : sham , cheap , spurious

a pinchbeck throne — J.A.Symonds

Synonyms: see counterfeit

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.