potassium hydroxide

American  

noun

Chemistry.

1. a white, deliquescent, water-soluble solid, KOH, usually in the form of lumps, sticks, or pellets, that upon solution in water generates heat: used chiefly in the manufacture of soap, as a laboratory reagent, and as a caustic.

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potassium hydroxide British  

noun

1. Also called: caustic potash.  a white deliquescent alkaline solid used in the manufacture of soap, liquid shampoos, and detergents. Formula: KOH See also lye

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potassium hydroxide Scientific  

1. A white, corrosive, solid compound used in bleaches and to make soaps and detergents. It is deliquescent, soluble in water and very soluble in alcohol. In solution, it forms lye. Chemical formula: KOH.

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Etymology

Origin of potassium hydroxide

First recorded in 1880–85

Compare meaning

How does potassium-hydroxide compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• potassium hydroxide vs. sodium hydroxide

Example Sentences

Using cobalt hydroxide and lithium hydroxide as starting materials, with sodium or potassium hydroxide as an additive, the team conducted a series of high-precision experiments under varying conditions to synthesize layered LiCoO2 crystals.

From Science Daily • Oct. 23, 2023

The process, known as resomation, uses a mix of potassium hydroxide and water to break down human remains in what is billed as a more sustainable option.

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2023

The low-impact act of dissolving a body in a mixture of water and potassium hydroxide, called alkaline hydrolysis, is now allowed in 20 states.

From Slate • Oct. 31, 2022

What volume of a 0.00945-M solution of potassium hydroxide would be required to titrate 50.00 mL of a sample of acid rain with a H2SO4 concentration of 1.23 10−4 M.

From Textbooks • Feb. 14, 2019

By referring to the reaction between chlorine and hot concentrated solutions of potassium hydroxide, it will be seen that only one molecule of potassium chlorate is formed from six molecules of potassium hydroxide.

From An Elementary Study of Chemistry by McPherson, William