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noun
1.
Chemistry.
a.
any of various bases, the hydroxides of the alkali metals and of ammonium, that neutralize acids to form salts and turn red litmus paper blue.
b.
any of various other more or less active bases, as calcium hydroxide.
c.
(not in technical use) an alkali metal.
d.
Obsolete. any of various other compounds, as the carbonates of sodium and potassium.
2.
Agriculture. a soluble mineral salt or a mixture of soluble salts, present in some soils, especially in arid regions, and detrimental to the growing of most crops.
adjective
3.
Chemistry. alkaline.
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Alkali
is always a great word to know.
So is lye. Does it mean:
| a salt of hydrocyanic acid, such as potassium cyanide, KCN |
| a highly concentrated, aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide, or any solution resulting from leaching or percolation |
Origin:
1300–50; Middle English alkaly < Middle French alcali < dialectal Arabic al-qalī, variant of Arabic qily saltwort ashes
1300–50; Middle English alkaly < Middle French alcali < dialectal Arabic al-qalī, variant of Arabic qily saltwort ashes
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To ALKALI
Collins
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
alkali
late 14c., "soda ash," from M.L. alkali, from Arabic al-qili "the ashes" (of saltwort, a plant growing in alkaline soils), from qala "to roast in a pan." The modern chemistry sense is from 1813.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary
alkali al·ka·li (āl'kə-lī')
n. pl. al·ka·lis
A carbonate or hydroxide of an alkali metal, the aqueous solution of which is bitter, slippery, caustic, and characteristically basic in reactions.
Any of various soluble mineral salts found in natural water and arid soils.
Alkali metal.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
alkali  (āl'kə-lī') Pronunciation Key
Plural alkalis or alkalies A hydroxide of an alkali metal. The aqueous solution of alkalis is bitter, slippery, caustic, and characteristically basic in reactions. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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