al ‧ ka ‧ li /ˈælkəlaɪ/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable and countable]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Medieval Latin ; Origin: Arabic al-qili 'the ashes (of a particular plant from which a type of alkali was obtained)' ]
a substance that forms a chemical salt when combined with an acid ⇨ acid