borax

¹

[ bawr-aks, -uhks, bohr- ]

noun

, plural bo·rax·es, bo·ra·ces [bawr, -, uh, -seez, bohr, -].

1. a white, water-soluble powder or crystals, hydrated sodium borate, Na 2 B 4 O 7 ⋅10H 2 O, occurring naturally or obtained from naturally occurring borates; tincal: used as a flux, cleansing agent, in the manufacture of glass, porcelain, and enamel, and in tanning.

borax

²

[ bawr-aks, -uhks, bohr- ]

noun

1. cheap, showy, poorly made merchandise, especially cheaply built furniture of an undistinguished or heterogeneous style.

borax

/ ˈbɔːræks /

noun

1. Also calledtincal a soluble readily fusible white mineral consisting of impure hydrated disodium tetraborate in monoclinic crystalline form, occurring in alkaline soils and salt deposits. Formula: Na 2 B 4 O 7 .10H 2 O
2. pure disodium tetraborate

borax

/ bôr′ăks′ /

1. A white, crystalline powder and mineral used as an antiseptic, as a cleansing agent, and in fusing metals and making heat-resistant glass. The mineral is an ore of boron and also occurs in yellowish, blue, or green varieties. Chemical formula: Na 2 B 4 O 7 ·10H 2 O.

Word History and Origins

Origin of borax¹

1350–1400; < Medieval Latin ≪ dialectal Arabic būraq < Middle Persian būrag; replacing Middle English boras < Middle French < Medieval Latin borax

Origin of borax²

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45; of uncertain origin

Word History and Origins

Origin of borax¹

C14: from Old French boras , from Medieval Latin borax , from Arabic būraq , from Persian būrah

Example Sentences

The gold miners and the borax miners and the railroad workers.

From The Daily Beast

Some sodium tetraborate (borax) is dissolved in a little water and silver nitrate is added to a small part of the solution.

From Project Gutenberg

Put the brush in a strong, warm solution of borax and water, and then wash in clean, warm water.

From Project Gutenberg

Put ammonia or borax in the water used, or else rub the glass with whiting, or a scouring soap which is not gritty.

From Project Gutenberg

The dried spot is submitted to the action of a cold saturated solution of borax.

From Project Gutenberg

Borax is a substance chiefly found in a crystallized state in some lakes in the East Indies.

From Project Gutenberg