Alkali \Al"ka*li\ (?; 277), n.; pl. Alkalis or Alkalies. [F.
alcali, ultimately fr. Ar. alqal[imac] ashes of the plant
saltwort, fr. qalay to roast in a pan, fry.]
1. Soda ash; caustic soda, caustic potash, etc.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Chem.) One of a class of caustic bases, such as 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.
[1913 Webster]
3. Soluble mineral matter, other than common salt, contained
in soils of natural waters. [Western U. S.]
[Webster 1913 Suppl.]
Fixed alkalies, potash and soda.
Vegetable alkalies. Same as Alkaloids.
Volatile alkali, ammonia, so called in distinction from the
fixed alkalies.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
alkali
n 1: any of various water-soluble compounds capable of turning
litmus blue and reacting with an acid to form a salt and
water; "bases include oxides and hydroxides of metals
and ammonia" [syn: base]
2: a mixture of soluble salts found in arid soils and some
bodies of water; detrimental to agriculture
[also: alkalies (pl)]
WordNet (r) 2.0
39 Moby Thesaurus words for "alkali":
acid, acidity, agent, alkalinity, alloisomer, anion, antacid, atom,
base, biochemical, cation, chemical, chemical element,
chromoisomer, compound, copolymer, dimer, element, heavy chemicals,
high polymer, homopolymer, hydracid, inorganic chemical, ion,
isomer, macromolecule, metamer, molecule, monomer, neutralizer,
nonacid, organic chemical, oxyacid, polymer, pseudoisomer, radical,
reagent, sulfacid, trimer
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
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