lye

American  

[lahy] / laɪ /

noun

Chemistry.

• lyes
  plural

1. a highly concentrated, aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide.

2. any solution resulting from leaching, percolation, or the like.

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lye British  

/ laɪ /

noun

1. any solution obtained by leaching, such as the caustic solution obtained by leaching wood ash

2. a concentrated solution of sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide

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lye Scientific  

/ lī /

1. A strong alkaline solution or solid of potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide, made by allowing water to wash through wood ashes. It is used to make soap and drain and oven cleaners. Chemical formula: KOH or NaOH.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• lyes
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of lye

First recorded before 900; Middle English lie, ley, Old English lēag; cognate with Dutch loog, German Lauge “lye,” Old Norse laug “warm bath”; see lave ¹

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Explanation

Lye is an alkaline solution that's used for cleaning. If you were a maid about 200 years ago, you probably cleaned the chamber pots with lye. Lye is an old cleaning product and an old word too. It comes from the Old English léag, which is related to the root for "wash" in our word lather. Lye is still used to make soap, but you probably won't come across the word except in old novels. If you become a historical re-enactor, say goodbye to body wash and hello to lye.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lye lyes

The process uses hot water mixed with an alkaline lye solution, so it’s more environmentally friendly than standard cremation, and usually more expensive.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2025

To make the humanmade version, the team first softened thin strips of oak by boiling them with lye and sodium sulfite.

From Science Magazine ● Feb. 15, 2023

The products are smelly, laden with lye and other mysterious chemicals.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 25, 2022

Classic pretzels are made with the help of food-grade lye, which is responsible for a pretzel's characteristic chew and deeply brown exterior.

From Salon ● Oct. 10, 2022

I washed him with lye soap and water, then rubbed salty bacon grease into his hair all over to rout the fleas.

From "Old Yeller" by Fred Gipson

If a Ball be stopp’d by any Person, Horse, Dog or anything else, The Ball so stop’d must be play’d where it lyes.

From Golf Digest ● Mar. 31, 2020

He whose ball lyes farthest from the hole is obliged to play first.

From New York Times ● Mar. 13, 2018

If a ball be stopp’d by any person, horse, dog, or anything else, the ball so stopp’d must be play’d where it lyes.

From New York Times ● Mar. 13, 2018

But there are many Smatterers and ignorant Fellows, that would fain reconcile the ancient Writers, and excuse these lyes; not seeing what damage they bring to the Common-wealth of Learning.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

The lord said to his lady,5 When he was going abroad, "O beware of Belinkin, For he lyes in the wood."

From English and Scottish Ballads (volume 3 of 8) by Various

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