billon (BIL-uhn) - n., an alloy of a precious metal with a larger amount of a less valuable metal.
Such as a little silver in a lot of copper, which is often used for coins of a small denomination. Borrowed in the 1720s from French, debased metal, originally ingot, from Middle French bille, log (cognate of billet) + -on, a noun suffix.
---L.
Such as a little silver in a lot of copper, which is often used for coins of a small denomination. Borrowed in the 1720s from French, debased metal, originally ingot, from Middle French bille, log (cognate of billet) + -on, a noun suffix.
---L.