lye

[ lahy ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a highly concentrated, aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide.
2. any solution resulting from leaching, percolation, or the like.

lye

/ laɪ /

noun

1. any solution obtained by leaching, such as the caustic solution obtained by leaching wood ash
2. a concentrated solution of sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide

lye

/ lī /

1. A strong alkaline solution or solid of potassium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide, made by allowing water to wash through wood ashes. It is used to make soap and drain and oven cleaners. Chemical formula: KOH or NaOH.

Word History and Origins

Origin of lye¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English lie, ley, Old English lēag; cognate with Dutch loog, German Lauge “lye,” Old Norse laug “warm bath”; lave ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of lye¹

Old English lēag; related to Middle Dutch lōghe, Old Norse laug bath, Latin lavāre to wash

Example Sentences

After Herrling learned of a police investigation into Wilding’s disappearance, she and her co-conspirators tried to dissolve his body in acid and lye on the rooftop balcony of her apartment, according to the prosecutor.

From Los Angeles Times

The prohibition against soap comes from a time when all soap was made with lye, which could eat through a patina in minutes.

From Seattle Times

As the bodies accumulated, Jon Hallford even suggested getting rid of them by digging a big hole and treating them with lye or setting them on fire, according to the texts presented by the prosecution.

From Seattle Times

Something you’ll see somewhat less in the U.S. is curing with lye, the method behind lutefisk and century eggs.

From Salon

The operator watched as the intruder clicked into various software programs before landing on a function that controls the amount of sodium hydroxide, or lye, in the plant’s water system.

From Los Angeles Times