lixiviate

English

Etymology

Borrowed from a Medieval Latin lixivio, lixiviatus, or formed from the root of lixivium, lixivia, from lixivius (“made into lye”), from lix (“ashes, lye”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /lɪkˈsɪvieɪt/
Audio (RP) (file)

Verb

lixiviate (third-person singular simple present lixiviates, present participle lixiviating, simple past and past participle lixiviated)

To separate (a substance) into soluble and insoluble components through percolation; to leach.
- 1997, Thomas Pynchon, Mason & Dixon:
  the Slaves are out in the Storm, doing their Owners’ Laundry, observing and reading each occurrence of Blood, Semen, Excrement, Saliva, Urine, Sweat, Road-Mud, dead Skin, and other such Data of Biography, whose pure form they practice Daily, before all is lixiviated ’neath Heaven.

Translations

To separate (a substance)

Bulgarian: излугвам (izlugvam)

Adjective

lixiviate (comparative more lixiviate, superlative most lixiviate)

Of or relating to lye or lixivium; of the quality of alkaline salts.
Impregnated with salts from wood ashes.
- 1685, Robert Boyle, Short Memoirs for the Natural Experimental History of Mineral Waters
  but we cou'd not, by this way, discern the least acidity in our arsenical solution, but rather a manifest sign of an urinous or lixiviate quality

Noun

lixiviate (plural lixiviates)

leachate