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Glite Dictionary
basic slag

basic slag

8.4
Material from making steel that farmers use as fertilizer
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : escoria básica
  • Farmers sometimes spread basic slag on acidic soil to correct its pH balance.

Examples

  • The use of basic slag has improved crop yields in many agricultural areas.

  • The steel mill produced large quantities of basic slag as a byproduct.

  • Farmers often use basic slag to improve soil quality.

  • The basic slag is rich in nutrients.

  • Farmers sometimes spread basic slag on acidic soil to correct its pH balance.

  • The use of basic slag has improved crop yields in many agricultural areas.

  • The steel mill produced large quantities of basic slag as a byproduct.

Surface Forms

basic slag singular
basic slags plural

Morphology

basic + slag

The term combines 'basic' (alkaline) with 'slag' (a stony metal byproduct), so the meaning—an alkaline/byproduct material from steelmaking used as a fertilizer—is directly inferable from the constituents. Although the concept is somewhat technical, its compositional logic is transparent to a learner who knows both words.

Etymology

Basic slag comes from steelmaking: slag is the waste left when metal is made, and basic here means 'not acidic' because the waste contains lime. Farmers found this waste helped acidic soil, so basic slag now means the steel byproduct used as a fertilizer.