pearlash

See also: pearl ash and pearl-ash

English

Alternative forms

pearl-ash, pearl ash

Etymology

From pearl +‎ ash. Compare potash.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -æʃ

Noun

pearlash (countable and uncountable, plural pearlashes)

1. (organic chemistry) A white amorphous or granular substance which consists principally of potassium carbonate and has a strong alkaline reaction. It is obtained by lixiviating wood ashes and evaporating the lye, and has been an important source of potassium compounds. It is used in making soap, glass, etc.

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.
(See the entry for “pearlash”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.)

Anagrams

• harp seal