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What is an electrolyte?

electrolyte

 [ih-lek-truh-lahyt]   Origin

e·lec·tro·lyte

   [ih-lek-truh-lahyt]
noun
1.
Physical Chemistry.
a.
Also called electrolytic conductor. a conducting medium in which the flow of current is accompanied by the movement of matter in the form of ions.
b.
any substance that dissociates into ions when dissolved in a suitable medium or melted and thus forms a conductor of electricity.
2.
Physiology. any of certain inorganic compounds, mainly sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, chloride, and bicarbonate, that dissociate in biological fluids into ions capable of conducting electrical currents and constituting a major force in controlling fluid balance within the body.
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Origin:
1825–35; electro- + -lyte

Related forms
non·e·lec·tro·lyte, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Electrolyte is always a great word to know.
So is ort. Does it mean:
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
electrolyte (ɪˈlɛktrəʊˌlaɪt)
 
—n
1.  a solution or molten substance that conducts electricity
2.  a.  a chemical compound that dissociates in solution into ions
 b.  any of the ions themselves

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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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

electrolyte
1834, from electro- (see electric) + Gk. lytos loosed, from lyein to loose (see lose).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

electrolyte e·lec·tro·lyte (ĭ-lěk'trə-līt')
n.

  1. A chemical compound that ionizes when dissolved or molten to produce an electrically conductive medium.

  2. Any of various ions, such as sodium or chloride, required by cells to regulate the electric charge and flow of water molecules across the cell membrane.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
electrolyte   (ĭ-lěk'trə-līt')  Pronunciation Key 

  1. A melted or dissolved compound that has broken apart into ions (anions and cations). Applying an electric field across an electrolyte causes the anions and cations to move in opposite directions, thereby conducting electrical current while gradually separating the ions. See also electrodialysis, electrolysis.

  2. Any of these ions found in body fluids. Electrolytes are needed by cells to regulate the flow of water molecules across cell membranes.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary
electrolyte [(i-lek-truh-leyet)]

A substance that can serve as a conductor for an electric current when it is dissolved in a solution. Electrolytes are found in the blood and tissue fluids of the body.

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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