Main Entry: elec·tro·lyte

Pronunciation: \i-ˈlek-trə-ˌlīt\

Function: noun

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