1704, from Modern Latin metallurgia, from Greek metallourgos "worker in metal," from metallon "metal" (see metal) + ergon "work" (see organ). Related: Metallurgical; metallurgist.
"A hard and very brittle solid solution of carbon in iron that is the main constituent of hardened steel", Late 19th century: named after Adolf Martens (1850–1914), German metallurgist, + -ite1.