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| al·ka·li [ álkə l ] (plural al·ka·lis or al·ka·li) |
noun |
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| Definition: |
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1. acid-neutralizing chemical substance: a water-soluble chemical that reacts with acids to form salts, has a pH above 7, and turns red litmus paper blue.
See also acidn (sense 1)
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2. soluble salt harmful to crops: a soluble mineral salt found in some dry soils and natural waters at levels harmful to agriculture
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3. soluble plant ash: the water-soluble material in the ash of burnt plants
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| [14th century. Via medieval Latin< Arabic al-ḳalī "the ashes of saltwort," from which it was first obtained] |
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