alkali
/ˈæl.kəˌlaɪ/ noun
Forms alkalis alkalies
- noun (chemistry) One of a class of caustic bases, such as soda, soda ash, caustic soda, potash, ammonia, and lithia, whose distinguishing characteristics are dissolving in alcohol and water, uniting with oils and fats to form soap, neutralizing and forming salts with acids, turning to brown several vegetable yellows, and changing reddened litmus to blue.
- noun (Western US) Soluble mineral matter, other than common salt, contained in soils of natural waters.
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Antonyms
Etymology
From French alcali, from Medieval Latin alcali, ultimately from Arabic اَلْقِلْي (al-qily, “alkali, ashes (in reference to ashes of the saltwort)”), related to قَلَى (qalā, “to roast in a pan, fry”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun Soda ash; caustic soda, caustic potash, etc.
- noun One of a class of caustic bases, such as soda, potash, ammoma, and lithia, whose distinguishing peculiarities are solubility in alcohol and water, uniting with oils and fats to form soap, neutralizing and forming salts with acids, turning to brown several vegetable yellows, and changing reddened litmus to blue. Fixed alkalies, potash and soda.
Etymology [F. alcali, ultimately fr. Ar. alqali ashes of the plant saltwort, fr. qalay to roast in a pan, fry.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “alkali”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details