alkali

/ˌælkəˈlaɪ/

Other forms: alkalies; alkalis

Definitions of alkali

1. noun

   any of various water-soluble compounds capable of turning litmus blue and reacting with an acid to form a salt and water
   synonyms: base

   types:

   pyridine

   a toxic colorless flammable liquid organic base with a disagreeable odor; usually derived from coal

   purine

   a colorless crystalline organic base containing nitrogen; the parent compound of various biologically important substances

   purine

   any of several bases that are derivatives of purine

   glyoxaline, imidazole, iminazole

   an organic base C3H4N2; a histamine inhibitor

   cyanuramide, melamine

   a white crystalline organic base; used mainly in making melamine resins

   pyrimidine

   any of several basic compounds derived from pyrimidine

   A, adenine

   (biochemistry) purine base found in DNA and RNA; pairs with thymine in DNA and with uracil in RNA

   C, cytosine

   a base found in DNA and RNA and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with guanine

   G, guanine

   a purine base found in DNA and RNA; pairs with cytosine

   T, thymine

   a base found in DNA (but not in RNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine

   triphosphopyridine

   a pyridine ring with three phosphorus groups

   type of:

   chemical compound, compound

   (chemistry) a substance formed by chemical union of two or more elements or ingredients in definite proportion by weight
2. noun

   a mixture of soluble salts found in arid soils and some bodies of water; detrimental to agriculture
   type of:

   salt

   a compound formed by replacing hydrogen in an acid by a metal (or a radical that acts like a metal)