Mixture

How to spell mixture

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce mixture

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does mixture mean?

1. nounA combination of two or more different things blended together.

Mixture in a sentence

• The cake recipe calls for a smooth mixture of flour and butter.

• Her feedback was a mixture of praise and gentle criticism.

Where does mixture come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word comes from the Latin mixtura, meaning a blending or mingling, which was built on the verb miscere, 'to mix or mingle'. That same verb also gave English a whole family of related words, including 'miscellaneous' and 'promiscuous', all carrying the idea of things stirred together. English took 'mixture' in the early 1400s by way of Old French, originally in technical and medical contexts where ingredients were combined into a single preparation. The -ture ending, seen in many nouns like 'fixture' and 'texture', simply marks the result of the action of mixing. The spelling stays close to its Latin source, which is why the t sits before the -ure rather than being softened away.

How the word is built

• mix (from Latin mixtus, mingled)
• -ture (noun suffix forming the result of an action)