electrolyte

elec·tro·lyte

noun \i-ˈlek-trə-ˌlīt\

Definition of ELECTROLYTE

1

: a nonmetallic electric conductor in which current is carried by the movement of ions

2

a : a substance that when dissolved in a suitable solvent or when fused becomes an ionic conductor

b : any of the ions (as of sodium or calcium) that in biological fluid regulate or affect most metabolic processes (as the flow of nutrients into and waste products out of cells)

Examples of ELECTROLYTE

1. The drink will replenish your electrolytes.

First Known Use of ELECTROLYTE

1834

Rhymes with ELECTROLYTE

adipocyte, alexandrite, amazonite, amoebocyte, amyl nitrite, anthophyllite, anti-Semite, butyl nitrite, cosmopolite, dermatophyte, embryophyte, exurbanite, gemütlichkeit, Gibeonite, Gileadite, go fly a kite, hermaphrodite, idiot light, Indo-Hittite, McCarthyite, meteorite, Michiganite, Midianite, multipartite, New Hampshirite, New Jerseyite, potato blight, property right, quadripartite, Rhode Island White, spermatocyte, substantive right, suburbanite, sweetness and light, theodolite, Turkish delight, Wyomingite

elec·tro·lyte

noun \i-ˈlek-trə-ˌlīt\   (Medical Dictionary)

Medical Definition of ELECTROLYTE

1

: a nonmetallic electric conductor in which current is carried by the movement of ions

2

a : a substance (as an acid, base, or salt) that when dissolved in a suitable solvent (as water) or when fused becomes an ionic conductor b : any of the ions (as of sodium, potassium, calcium, or bicarbonate) that in a biological fluid regulate or affect most metabolic processes (as the flow of nutrients into and waste products out of cells)—used especially in biology and biochemistry

electrolyte

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Substance that conducts electric current as a result of dissociation of its molecules into positively and negatively charged particles called ions. The most familiar electrolytes are acids, bases, and salts, which ionize when dissolved in polar solvents such as water. Many salts, including sodium chloride, behave as electrolytes when melted in the absence of solvent, since they have ionic bonds. The most commonly used electrolytes are dissolved metal salts (for electroplating metals) and acids (in electric batteries). See also electrolysis.