What is "tambac"

Tombac \Tom"bac\, n. [Pg. tambaca,tambaque, fr. Malay tamb[=a]ga copper; cf. Skr. t[=a]mraka; cf. F. tombac.] (Metal.) An alloy of copper and zinc, resembling brass, and containing about 84 per cent of copper; -- called also German brass or Dutch brass. It is very malleable and ductile, and when beaten into thin leaves is sometimes called Dutch metal. The addition of arsenic makes white tombac. [Written also tombak, and tambac.]

n. (obsolete form of tombak English)

n. an alloy of copper and zinc (and sometimes arsenic) used to imitate gold in cheap jewelry and for gilding [syn: tombac, tombak]