white plague en · NOUN
Etymology
white+plague * (tuberculosis): From the white pallor of victims of the disease * (eletronics): From the colour of the deposits which cause electrical problems to plague devices
Meanings
- (uncountable) Tuberculosis, especially of the lungs.
- (uncountable) The white gold-aluminium intermetallic compound Au₅Al₂, which can be formed when gold and aluminium are heated in direct contact (for instance, at an electrical junction between gold and aluminium components).
- (uncountable) The white gold-aluminium intermetallic compound Au₅Al₂, which can be formed when gold and aluminium are heated in direct contact (for instance, at an electrical junction between gold and aluminium components). ▸ The problems caused by the formation of this compound, including an increase in electrical resistance and formation of voids at the gold-aluminium junction, potentially culminating in total failure of the junction.