Alkalinises

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Renders a substance basic by raising its pH so that it is no longer acidic
2. Makes a material or solution more alkaline by adding a base to it
3. Treats something chemically so that it becomes alkaline rather than acidic

Etymology: "Alkalinises" is the third-person singular form of "alkalinise", meaning to make something alkaline. The verb is simply "alkaline" with the verb-forming suffix "-ise" added, and "alkaline" itself comes from "alkali", the Arabic-derived name for substances such as potash and soda ash that were long extracted from plant ashes. The suffix has a longer ancestry than the base word. It descends from the Ancient Greek ending "-izein", which English took through Late Latin "-izare" and Middle French "-iser" before it arrived in Middle English as "-isen". Speakers then used this same suffix to build countless verbs, so "alkalinise" follows a pattern shared by words like "sterilise" and "crystallise", and the form "alkalinises" simply adds the English "-s" for the third-person singular.

Synonyms: alkalinizes, alkalizes, basifies

Antonyms: acidifies, acidulates