Mixture

Mixture

Noun · /ˈmɪks.tʃər/

Definition

A substance made by combining two or more substances, where the components retain their individual properties and can in principle be separated; a combination of different elements, qualities, or types; in chemistry, distinguished from a compound (in which elements combine chemically and lose their individual properties).

Origin

From Latin mixtura (a mixing, a mixture), from mixtus (past participle of miscere, to mix). The -ure suffix (from Latin -ura) denotes the result or product of the action named by the base verb — mixture being the result of mixing, manufacture being the result of manufacturing, departure being the result of departing. In chemistry, mixture has a specific technical sense distinguished from compound and solution, though in everyday use mixture covers any combination of things.