lye

/lai/

Thân thiện

A baker uses lye to make traditional pretzels.

Definition

Noun: 1. A strongly alkaline solution: A concentrated, corrosive solution made by leaching ashes (usually wood ashes) with water, or a modern solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or potassium hydroxide (KOH). 2. A chemical solution: Specifically, a solution of an alkali metal hydroxide, used in soap-making, cleaning, and various chemical processes.

Usage

• Lye is primarily used as a mass noun (uncountable). You refer to a quantity of it (e.g., , ).
• It is a specific, technical term for a caustic chemical. In everyday conversation, people might use more general terms like or .
• It is historically associated with traditional soap-making (lye soap) and as a cleaning agent.

Examples

• Traditional soap is made by combining fats with lye.
• Handle lye with extreme care, as it can cause severe chemical burns.
• The old recipe called for passing water through wood ashes to create lye.
• Some commercial drain cleaners contain lye.

Advanced Usage

• "Lye leaching": A process in mining or environmental science where a lye solution is used to extract a substance from a solid material.
• "Lye solution": A common phrase specifying the liquid form, often indicating a particular concentration for a task like soap-making.

Variants and Related Words

• Caustic soda: A common name for sodium hydroxide, which is a primary component of modern lye.
• Potash: Historically, potash (potassium carbonate) from ashes was used to make a form of lye (potassium hydroxide solution).
• Alkali: A broader category of basic, soluble salts, which includes lye.

Synonyms

• Sodium hydroxide solution
• Potassium hydroxide solution
• Caustic solution

Related Phrases

• Lye wash: A treatment for foods like lutefisk or pretzels, where they are dipped in a diluted lye solution to alter texture and color.
• Lye tank: A container used for curing or cleaning items with a lye solution.

Học thuật

Noun

1. a strong solution of sodium or potassium hydroxide