alkali
alkali Lexical Profile
alkali Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A chemical compound that neutralizes or effervesces with acids and turns litmus blue; specifically, a water-soluble base, such as sodium hydroxide, that yields hydroxide ions in solution and has a pH greater than 7.
"The chemistry students carefully added a weak alkali to neutralize the acidic solution in the beaker."
North American A soluble mineral salt or mixture of salts found in the soils of arid regions, which can accumulate on the surface and inhibit the growth of most agricultural crops.
"White crusts of alkali covered the dry desert flats where the seasonal water had evaporated."
Word Nuance & Usage
In strict chemistry, all alkalis are bases, but not all bases are alkalis; an alkali is specifically a base that dissolves in water.
• Rhymes for alkali
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed via Medieval Latin from Arabic al-qaliy, meaning 'the calcined ashes' (from qala, 'to roast in a pan'), referring to the soda ash originally extracted from burning saltwort plants.