Containing or producing alkali; bearing or yielding alkaline substances.
From alkali plus -ferous, from Latin ferre meaning 'to carry' or 'to bear.' This term was formed in English chemistry to describe rocks, minerals, or plants that contain alkaline materials.
Alkaliferous sounds like a scientific name for a dinosaur, but it's actually describing any rock or mineral that produces alkali—it's the chemistry equivalent of 'ore-bearing' or 'gold-bearing'!
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