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Glite Dictionary
limewater

limewater

7.9
A clear colorless liquid used to test for carbon dioxide and to help with heartburn
  • noun
  • /ˈlaɪmˌwɔːtər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : agua de cal
  • The chemist used limewater to test the acidity of the solution.

Examples

  • Thomas Leigh, surgeon, used oil and limewater.

    Academic text (2001)

  • "I'll just have an iced limewater, please," requested Olive.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • For relief from heartburn, he drank a glass of limewater after meals.

  • In the laboratory, we prepared limewater to demonstrate the reaction with carbon dioxide.

Surface Forms

limewater singular
limewaters plural

Morphology

limewater = lime + water (semi-transparent) = lime + water

Formed by 'lime' + 'water' but denotes a specific chemical solution (calcium hydroxide in water) that could mislead learners who only know 'lime' as the fruit or colour.

Etymology

Limewater comes from the simple combination of lime, an old word for a white, chalky substance once used like glue, and water, and literally means 'water with lime'. That's why limewater names the clear solution chemists use in tests and sometimes as a mild antacid.