ἤλεκτρον

A. amber (cf. Ἠλεκτρίδες), [ὅρμος] μετὰ . . ἠλέκτροισιν (i.e. pieces of amber) ἔερτο Od. 15.460, cf. 18.296, Hdt. 3.115, Pl. Ti. 80c, Phld. Sign. 1, D.L. 1.24, etc.; ἠλέκτρου λιβάδες A.R. 4.606.

II. an alloy of gold and silver, χρυσοῦ τ’ ἠλέκτρου τε καὶ ἀργύρου ἠδ’ ἐλέφαντος Od. 4.73, cf. Hes. Sc. 142, Hom. Epigr. 15.10, Pytheas ap.Ath. 11.465d; τἀπὸ Σάρδεων ἤ. S. Ant. 1038 (cj.): in pl., of the pegs of a lyre, ἐκπιπτουσῶν τῶν ἠλέκτρων Ar. Eq. 532. (The two senses are difficult to distinguish in early Poetry; cf. Paus. 5.12.7, Plin. HN 33.80, 37.31. The word is connected with ἠλέκτωρ.)