Alkalies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Substances that have basic properties, often dissolving in water to yield hydroxide ions
2. Compounds that can neutralize acids, typically found in many types of salts
3. Categories of chemicals that increase the pH of solutions and are often used in various industrial applications

Etymology: The plural "alkalies" is simply the plural of "alkali," so the story belongs to the singular. It begins in the Arabic-speaking world, where "al-qily" referred to the ashes of saltwort, a salt-rich plant burned to produce a substance that could neutralize acids. The name is tied to "qalā," meaning "to roast in a pan" or "to fry," which points to the roasting that produced those ashes. The word then travelled through medieval Latin ("alcali") and into French ("alcali"), before English adopted it. What began as a specific material made from burned plants became a general name for a whole class of substances, which is why the plural now refers to many such compounds rather than to a single ash.

Synonyms: bases, alkalis, soda, lye, caustics

Antonyms: acids