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:

Take quicklime, otherwise known as calcium oxide, and just add water.

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

The chunk of concrete made with quicklime had its cracks completely healed within two weeks.

From Washington Times Jan. 8, 2023

He disposed of other spent material in his kiln or in pits filled with quicklime.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training