Having the properties of an alkali; chemically basic rather than acidic; containing or resembling alkaline substances.
Shortened or variant form of 'alkaline,' derived from 'alkali' (Arabic al-qali, plant ashes used in soap-making). This shorter form appears primarily in older or specialized scientific texts.
This archaic or shortened version of 'alkaline' shows how scientific terminology evolved—scientists kept the shorter forms they liked and abandoned others, so only 'alkaline' survived in modern use.
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