n. 1. The science that deals with procedures used in extracting metals from their ores, purifying and alloying metals, and creating useful objects from metals. 2. The study of metals and their properties in bulk and at the atomic level. [New Latin metallūrgia, from Greek metallourgos, miner, worker in metals : metallon, a mine, metal + -ourgos, -worker (from ergon, work; see werg- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots).] met′al·lurgic, met′al·lurgi·cal adj. met′al·lurgi·cal·ly adv. metal·lur′gist n. |
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