amalgam: an alloy of mercury with another metal (usually silver) used by dentists to fill cavities in teeth; except for iron and platinum all metals dissolve in mercury and chemists refer to the resulting mercury mixtures as amalgams
alloy: a mixture containing two or more metallic elements or metallic and nonmetallic elements usually fused together or dissolving into each other when molten
semiotics: (philosophy) a philosophical theory of the functions of signs and symbols