alkali

[al-kuh-lahy] /ˈæl kəˌlaɪ/
noun, plural alkalis, alkalies.
1.
Chemistry.
  1. any of various bases, the hydroxides of the alkali metals and of ammonium, that neutralize acids to form salts and turn red litmus paper blue.
  2. any of various other more or less active bases, as calcium hydroxide.
  3. (not in technical use) an alkali metal.
  4. Obsolete. any of various other compounds, as the carbonates of sodium and potassium.
2.
Agriculture. a soluble mineral salt or a mixture of soluble salts, present in some soils, especially in arid regions, and detrimental to the growing of most crops.
adjective
3.
Chemistry, alkaline.
Origin
1300-50; Middle English alkaly < Middle French alcali < dialectal Arabic al-qalī, variant of Arabic qily saltwort ashes
Examples from the web for alkali
  • They use an alkaline solution, but the alkali is not consumed.
  • The nectar produced by alkali heath is a food source for insects.
  • alkali basalt is relatively poor in silica and rich in sodium.
  • alkali solutions and dilute and concentrated acids attack the metal rapidly.
British Dictionary definitions for alkali

alkali

/ˈælkəˌlaɪ/
noun (pl) -lis, -lies
1.
(chem) a soluble base or a solution of a base
2.
a soluble mineral salt that occurs in arid soils and some natural waters
Word Origin
C14: from Medieval Latin, from Arabic al-qili the ashes (of the plant saltwort)
Word Origin and History for alkali
n.

late 14c., "soda ash," from Medieval Latin alkali, from Arabic al-qaliy "the ashes, burnt ashes" (of saltwort, a plant growing in alkaline soils), from qala "to roast in a pan." The modern chemistry sense is from 1813.

alkali in Medicine

alkali al·ka·li (āl'kə-lī')
n. pl. al·ka·lis

  1. A carbonate or hydroxide of an alkali metal, the aqueous solution of which is bitter, slippery, caustic, and characteristically basic in reactions.

  2. Any of various soluble mineral salts found in natural water and arid soils.

  3. Alkali metal.

alkali in Science
alkali
  (āl'kə-lī')   
Plural alkalis or alkalies
A hydroxide of an alkali metal. The aqueous solution of alkalis is bitter, slippery, caustic, and characteristically basic in reactions.
alkali in Culture
alkali [(al-kuh-leye)]

A bitter, caustic mineral often found in large beds in the desert. Alkalis are bases; two common examples are lye and ammonia.

Note: Plants have difficulty growing in soil that is rich in alkalis.