I. ˈlī noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English lye, leye, lie, from Old English lēag, lēah; akin to Middle Dutch lōghe lye, Old High German louga lye, Old Norse laug bath, hot spring, Latin lavare, lavere to wash, bathe, Old Irish lūaith ashes, Greek louein to wash, Armenian loganam I bathe
1.
a. : a strong alkaline liquor that contains chiefly potassium carbonate obtained by leaching wood ashes with water and that has been used especially in soapmaking and washing
b. : a strong alkaline solution (as of sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide)
caustic lye
— compare caustic II 1
2. : a solution obtained by lixiviation
3. : a solid caustic — called also concentrated lye
II. transitive verb
( lyed ; lyed ; lying ; lyes )
: to treat with lye