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Glite Dictionary
alkaline metal

alkaline metal

1 7.0
A soft, very reactive metal like sodium or potassium that easily loses one electron
  • noun
  • /ˈæl.kə.laɪn ˈmɛt.əl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : metal alcalino
  • In chemistry class, we learned that alkaline metals are found in Group I of the periodic table.

Examples

  • Potassium is a common example of an alkaline metal that can ignite when exposed to moisture.

  • You see, you have your alkaline metals.

    Awakenings (1990)

  • Lithium and sodium are examples of alkaline metals that are highly reactive with water.

Synonyms

alkali metal
vsalkaline metal
  • Specialized
5.6

A soft metal that reacts strongly with water, like lithium, sodium, or potassium

is the alternative name used for the same Group I metals

Surface Forms

alkaline metal singular
alkaline metals plural

Morphology

alkaline + metal

The phrase is a straightforward adjective+noun composition: 'alkaline' means basic (having basic properties) and 'metal' is a type of element, so the meaning 'a metal with alkaline/basic properties' is directly derivable from its parts. This follows a common adjectival modification pattern found across languages and, despite being a technical chemistry term, would be understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

Alkaline metal comes from the word alkaline, a term linked to ashes people used to make soap, and metal. These soft metals make a soapy, 'basic' liquid when they touch water, so people called them 'alkaline' metals.