lye

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) An alkaline liquid made by leaching ashes (usually wood ashes).
2. (countable, uncountable) Potassium or sodium hydroxide (caustic soda).

Verb

To treat with lye.

Verb

Obsolete spelling of lie.

Synonyms

alkali

alkaline

salt

🧂

alkaline solution

lixivium

buck

caustic soda

leach

basic salt

potash

soda

sodium hydroxide

soot

ashes

alkaline salt

ash

alkali liquor

Translations

Lauge

lessive

liscivia

loog

lejía

ranno

lixívia

lleixiu

αλισίβα

soude

lessiu

διάλυμα

soluzione alcalina

lejia

Pronounced as (IPA)

/laɪ/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: leye

Inherited from Old English: lēah

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: Loge

Cognate with Dutch: loog

Cognate with German: Lauge

In summary

From Middle English leye, lye, from Old English lēah, lēag (“lye”), from Proto-West Germanic *laugu, from Proto-Germanic *laugō, from Proto-Indo-European *lewh₃- (“to wash”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Loge, Looie (“lye”), Dutch loog (“lye”), German Low German Loge, Loje, Loog (“lye”), German Lauge (“lye”).
Compare typologically Ancient Greek ῥύμμα (rhúmma) < ῥύπτω (rhúptō, “to cleanse, to wash”).