alkali

Meaning

Noun

• One of a class of caustic bases, such as soda, soda ash, caustic soda, potash, ammonia, and lithia, whose distinguishing peculiarities are solubility 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.
• Soluble mineral matter, other than common salt, contained in soils of natural waters.

Related

Similar words

• base

Opposite words

• acid

Origin

• From French alcali, ultimately from Arabic قلي ("alkali, ashes of the saltwort"), related to قَلَى.