alkali
/ˈæl.kəˌlaɪ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.94 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
3
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
One of a class of caustic bases, such as soda, soda ash, caustic soda, potash, ammonia, and lithia, whose distinguishing characteristics are dissolving in alcohol and water, uniting with oils and fats to form soap, neutralizing and forming salts with acids, turning to brown several vegetable yellows, and changing reddened litmus to blue.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Alkalies may be defined as bodies which combine with acids so as to impair or neutralize their activity, and produce what are called salts. They are distinguished by properties the reverse of acids, and the two classes are generally looked upon as antagonist substances."
Etymology
Etymology tree Arabic اَلْقِلْي (al-qily)der. Medieval Latin alcalibor. French alcalibor. English alkali From French alcali, from Medieval Latin alcali, ultimately from Arabic اَلْقِلْي (al-qily, “alkali, ashes (in reference to ashes of the saltwort)”), related to قَلَى (qalā, “to roast in a pan, fry”).
Origin
- Source language: French
Word Breakdown
- Root: ق ل ي, alcali, قلي
Usage
- Countable
- Uncountable
- American usage