Alkes

/ˈælkiːz/ noun

Definition

Plural of alka or an archaic/obsolete form, possibly referring to alkalis or alkali-containing substances; used in historical chemical texts.

Etymology

Likely a variant plural or form of alkali-related terms. This appears in older texts but is not standard in modern chemistry terminology.

Kelly Says

Alkes is a ghost word haunting chemistry histories—it might be a plural, might be a misspelling, or might be an obsolete term, but everyone's squinting at old manuscripts trying to figure out what it actually meant.

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