white plague
English
editEtymology
edit- (tuberculosis): From the white pallor of victims of the disease
- (eletronics): From the colour of the deposits which cause electrical problems to plague devices
Noun
edit- (medicine) Tuberculosis, especially of the lungs.
- (chemistry, electronics) 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).
- (electronics) 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.
Coordinate terms
edit(intermetallic compound):
(tuberculosis):