slack lime

A mason spreads slack lime on a brick wall.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Hydrated lime: "slack lime" refers to calcium hydroxide, a white, powdery substance produced by adding water to quicklime (calcium oxide). It is also known as slaked lime or hydrated lime.

Usage Examples

• (Hydrated lime used in building materials.)
• (Calcium hydroxide applied to neutralize acidic soil.)

Advanced Usage

• "to slack lime" (verb phrase): the process of hydrating quicklime.
  • The lab technician will slack lime by carefully mixing it with water. (The act of creating hydrated lime.)

Variants and Related Words

• Slaked lime (n): a synonym for slack lime, more commonly used in technical contexts.
  • Slaked lime is essential in the production of plaster and cement. (Same substance as slack lime.)
• Quicklime (n): the unhydrated form of calcium oxide, from which slack lime is derived.
  • Quicklime reacts violently with water to become slack lime. (The precursor material.)

Synonyms

• Hydrated lime: the scientific term for calcium hydroxide.
• Calcium hydroxide: the chemical name for slack lime.

Related Idioms

Additional Notes

• "Slack lime" is a compound noun; the word "slack" here means "to become less active or to slacken," referring to the chemical reaction where quicklime "slakes" or weakens when mixed with water.