Temper

Description

An additive used to produce the desired texture, consistency, or hardness in another materials such as glass, metal, clay, brick, mortar, or paint. Temper can be a mineral or liquid. Examples of temper for clay include water, sand, calcite, and mica. Metal or glass can be tempered or strengthened by heating and rapid cooling.

Synonyms and Related Terms

tempered (v.); tempering; tempra (It.); têmpera (Port.);

Authority

• R. J. Gettens, G.L. Stout, Painting Materials, A Short Encyclopaedia, Dover Publications, New York, 1966

• Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996

• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997

• The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998