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calcium hydroxide
noun
: a white crystalline strong alkali Ca(OH)2 that is used especially to make mortar and plaster and to soften water
Examples of calcium hydroxide in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Finally, an electrochemical process is carried out to produce calcium hydroxide – a zero-carbon precursor for cement and lime production.
—New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2024
Most replaced it with a milder chemical, calcium hydroxide.
—Linda Villarosa Robin Miles Krish Seenivasan Alec K. Redfearn, New York Times, 13 June 2024
Ingredients like calcium hydroxide, calcium thioglycolate, sodium hydroxide, and sodium thioglycolate break down the keratin bonds that make up the structure of your hair.
—Christine Giordano, womenshealthmag.com, 26 May 2023
The answer was portlandite, or calcium hydroxide.
—IEEE Spectrum, 14 Mar. 2023
Depilatory creams, like Nair, contain a chemical called thioglycolate mixed with sodium hydroxide or calcium hydroxide that literally melts hair away.
—Heather L. Brannon, Md, Verywell Health, 22 Mar. 2023
Dried corn is steeped in water mixed with calcium hydroxide, which is an alkaline solution.
—Christian Reynoso, Bon Appétit, 25 July 2022
The sodium silicate reacts with the calcium hydroxide embedded in the concrete to form a malleable gel that covers the holes and hardens within a week of activation.
—Jeremy Jacquot, Discover Magazine, 3 Sep. 2010
To make tamales, corn kernels are steeped in water and calcium hydroxide (lye)—a process called nixtamalization—then rinsed, drained, and milled to be turned into masa, a nutritious and filling paste seasoned with salt and lard or oil.
—Hannah Goldfield, The New Yorker, 1 July 2022
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Word History
First Known Use
1872, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of calcium hydroxide was
in 1872
Dictionary Entries Near calcium hydroxide
Cite this Entry
“Calcium hydroxide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/calcium%20hydroxide. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Kids Definition
calcium hydroxide
noun
: a white compound in the form of crystals that is used especially in making mortar and plaster and in softening water
More from Merriam-Webster on calcium hydroxide
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about calcium hydroxide
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