1
: a strong alkaline liquor rich in potassium carbonate leached from wood ashes and used especially in making soap and for washing
broadly
: a strong alkaline solution (as of sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide)
2
: a solid caustic (such as sodium hydroxide)
Examples of lye in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Combine melted beeswax with an assortment of oils, such as palm oil, avocado oil, and sunflower oil, scented essential oils, water, and lye.
—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Oct. 2024
In their messages, the couple had discussed dumping the bodies into a hole, then treating them with lye or setting them on fire.
—Christina Coulter, Fox News, 29 Sep. 2024
Before detergents, soaps made from tallow, lye, and water were the norm.
—Stephan Rabimov, Forbes, 19 Sep. 2024
Florence recalled growing up in a shotgun house her father built on that land, and learning to make lye soap from hog fat and dandelion wine from their garden.
—Essence, 18 June 2024
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Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Oct. 2024
In their messages, the couple had discussed dumping the bodies into a hole, then treating them with lye or setting them on fire.
—Christina Coulter, Fox News, 29 Sep. 2024
Before detergents, soaps made from tallow, lye, and water were the norm.
—Stephan Rabimov, Forbes, 19 Sep. 2024
Florence recalled growing up in a shotgun house her father built on that land, and learning to make lye soap from hog fat and dandelion wine from their garden.
—Essence, 18 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for lye
Dictionary Entries Near lye
Cite this Entry
“Lye.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lye. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lye
noun1
: a strong alkaline liquid obtained from wood ashes and used especially in making soap and in washing
2
: any of various strong alkaline liquids
especially
: sodium hydroxide
3
: a solid compound (as caustic soda) that causes chemical burns
Medical Definition
lye
noun1
: a strong alkaline liquor rich in potassium carbonate leached from wood ashes and used especially in making soap and washing
broadly
: a strong alkaline solution (as of sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide)
2
: a solid caustic (as sodium hydroxide)
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