potash

American  

[pot-ash] / ˈpɒtˌæʃ /

noun

1. potassium carbonate, especially the crude impure form obtained from wood ashes.

2. potassium hydroxide.

3. the oxide of potassium, K 2 O.

4. potassium, as carbonate of potash.

---

potash British  

/ ˈpɒtˌæʃ /

noun

1. another name for potassium carbonate, esp the form obtained by leaching wood ash

2. another name for potassium hydroxide

3. potassium chemically combined in certain compounds

   chloride of potash

---

potash Scientific  

/ pŏt′ăsh′ /

1. Any of several chemical compounds that contain potassium, especially potassium carbonate (K ₂ CO ₃), which is a strongly alkaline material obtained from wood ashes and used in fertilizers.

---

Etymology

Origin of potash

1615–25; back formation from plural pot-ashes, translation of early Dutch potasschen. See pot ¹, ash ¹

Example Sentences

According to the United Nations around a third of the world's fertilisers - such as urea, potash, ammonia and phosphates - normally pass through the Hormuz Strait.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

They may also decide to use less fertilizer when planting this spring, or turn to cheaper alternatives by swapping out more expensive ammonia fertilizers for cheaper potash options.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

Late last year, cash-strapped American farmers cut back on fertilizer purchases, according to Mosaic, which mines potash in western Canada and phosphate in central Florida.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

Mosaic expects phosphate sales volumes of 1.3 million tons and potash sales volumes of 2.2 million tons.

From Barron's • Jan. 16, 2026

Chemistry was, generally speaking, a science for businesspeople, for those who worked with coal and potash and dyes, and not gentlemen, who tended to be drawn to geology, natural history, and physics.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

Related Words

• manure