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View synonyms for alkali
alkali
[ al-kuh-lahy ]
noun
, plural al·ka·lis, al·ka·lies.
- Chemistry.
- 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.
- any of various other more or less active bases, as calcium hydroxide.
- (not in technical use) an alkali metal.
- Obsolete. any of various other compounds, as the carbonates of sodium and potassium.
- 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
- Chemistry. alkaline.
alkali
/ ˈælkəˌlaɪ /
noun
- chem a soluble base or a solution of a base
- a soluble mineral salt that occurs in arid soils and some natural waters
alkali
/ ăl′kə-lī′ /
, Plural alkalis
- A hydroxide of an alkali metal. The aqueous solution of alkalis is bitter, slippery, caustic, and characteristically basic in reactions.
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Notes
Plants have difficulty growing in soil that is rich in alkalis.
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Word History and Origins
Origin of alkali1
1300–50; Middle English alkaly < Middle French alcali < dialectal Arabic al-qalī, variant of Arabic qily saltwort ashes
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Word History and Origins
Origin of alkali1
C14: from Medieval Latin, from Arabic al-qili the ashes (of the plant saltwort)
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Example Sentences
What appears to be ground glass is only the little crystals or small particles of alkali that have not been dissolved.
From Project Gutenberg
He was one of the men to whom alkali is a constant poison, and his lips were always cracked and bleeding.
From Project Gutenberg
He had come away in the sour mood of a thirsty man who finds an alkali spring sparkling deceptively under a rock.
From Project Gutenberg
Talpers flushed angrily, and then grinned, until his alkali-cracked lips glistened in the lamplight.
From Project Gutenberg
Now, cations other than the alkali ions are liable to interfere with tests designed for alkaline or neutral solutions.
From Project Gutenberg
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