Kingston's metal

noun

An alloy of tin, copper, and mercury, sometimes formerly used for the bearings and packings of machinery.

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Meanings

nounKingston's metal (uncountable)

alternative Kingston metal

  1. uncountableAn alloy of tin, copper, and mercury, sometimes formerly used for the bearings and packings of machinery.

    so remarkable was the difference between wood and brass; and Babbitt's soft metal, Kingston's metal, and other mixtures[…]

    1856, The Franklin Journal, and American Mechanics' Magazine

Origin

After inventor James Pole Kingston (flourished mid-1800s).

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Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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