Babbitt's metal

Bab·bitt's me·tal
UK/ˈbæbɪts ˌmɛtəl/US[-ɾəl]

A form of babbitt metal — A soft white alloy of variable composition (for example, nine parts of tin to one of copper, or fifty parts of tin to five of antimony and one of copper) used in bearings to diminish friction.

Meanings

nounBabbitt's metal (countable and uncountable, plural Babbitt's metals)

plural Babbitt's metals

  1. countablerareuncountableRare form of babbitt metal.

    In 1839 Isaac Babbitt, a goldsmith of Boston, Mass., discovered the alloy known as Babbitt's metal which is used the world over in bearings of machinery.

    1897, Aluminum World, page 29
    2 more examples

    The supposed superiority of brass or Babbitt's metal lined boxes over iron boxes, in positions very liable to heating, lies in their greater softness and conductivity for heat.

    1878 April, William D. Marks, “Crank Pins and Journals”, in Journal of the Franklin Institute, page 234

    So-called Babbitt's metals made principally of lead, and weighing six ounces per cubic inch, are dear at any price, when compared with the tin Babbitt's metals which weight but 4¼ ounces per cubic inch, and never heat or cut journals.

    1899, “Importance of Good Bearing Metals”, in The Foundry, page 130

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see

Origin

Cite this entry
APA

Babbitt's metal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Babbitt's%20metal

MLA

“Babbitt's metal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Babbitt's%20metal. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Babbitt's metal,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Babbitt's%20metal.

Source: Babbitt's metal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.