Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

quicklime

American  
[kwik-lahym] / ˈkwɪkˌlaɪm /

noun

  1. lime.


quicklime British  
/ ˈkwɪkˌlaɪm /

noun

  1. another name for calcium oxide

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of quicklime

1350–1400; Middle English quyk lym, translation Latin calx vīva; see quick, lime 2


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Two problems: At the time, renewable energy cost too much to make it affordable, and adding water usually turns quicklime into an unwieldy goop.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026

If that calcium comes straight from crushed limestone, it’s considered natural, but if it’s isolated from crushed stone and then treated with heat to become more concentrated quicklime, it qualifies as synthetic.

From Salon ● Jan. 2, 2025

Burning vast amounts of wood to convert limestone into quicklime ravaged the forests, which led to soil erosion and water contamination.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2023

Lime clasts have long been observed in the quicklime, or calcium oxide, that was a mainstay of the Roman empire’s concrete mixtures.

From Washington Times ● Jan. 8, 2023

The tree trunks were painted with quicklime, but the ants continued to climb, sparing neither pears, oranges, nor apples.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember new words for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com