All 3 Uses of
alloy
in
Jane Eyre
- I was silent; Helen had calmed me; but in the tranquillity she imparted there was an alloy of inexpressible sadness.†
p. 83.5 *
- I only entertained the intention for a moment; for, not being insane, the crisis of exquisite and unalloyed despair, which had originated the wish and design of self-destruction, was past in a second.†
p. 355.5unalloyed = pure (literally with regard to the composition of a metal, or figuratively with regard to an emotion)standard prefix: The prefix "un-" in unalloyed means not and reverses the meaning of alloyed. This is the same pattern you see in words like unhappy, unknown, and unlucky.
- "I believe you will accept the post I offer you," said he, "and hold it for a while: not permanently, though: any more than I could permanently keep the narrow and narrowing — the tranquil, hidden office of English country incumbent; for in your nature is an alloy as detrimental to repose as that in mine, though of a different kind."†
p. 407.9
Definition:
a metal that consists of more than one element