alkali metal

noun

: any of the monovalent mostly basic metals of group I of the periodic table comprising lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, and francium see Periodic Table

Examples of alkali metal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web These are all side effects the late Jacob Waugh, MD, was looking to avoid when alkali metals first caught his attention in 2016. Maura Lynch, Allure, 21 Sep. 2023 Lithium is an alkali metal that can be found naturally in some food and ground water. Jen Christensen, CNN, 3 Apr. 2023 This one just happens to count the nine-billion-odd times an alkali metal is excited and calls that a second. Tom Vanderbilt, Harper’s Magazine , 13 Mar. 2023 The recent announcement by India’s Geological Survey of India (GSI) on its preliminary exploration of lithium reserves has excited many industries dependent on the scarce alkali metal. Manish Kumar, Quartz, 20 Feb. 2023 In the paper, scientists characterize the meteorites’ material phases as alloys of lead, tin and indium, which is the softest non-alkali metal. Fox News, 24 Mar. 2020 The first group, known as the alkali metals, has just one such electron, easy to lose when reacting with an element that has more electrons, such as one from the 17th group, the halogens. Bill Andrews, Discover Magazine, 26 June 2019 The brine water that has been accumulating for millennia under the Atacama is lithium-rich, and companies pump it out and send the brine to evaporation ponds where heat extracts the water and leaves the reactive alkali metal behind. Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, 21 Oct. 2018 The calibration is done with the alkali metal cesium. Jay Bennett, Popular Mechanics, 24 Mar. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'alkali metal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of alkali metal was in 1860

Dictionary Entries Near alkali metal

Cite this Entry

“Alkali metal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alkali%20metal. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

alkali metal

noun
: any of the metals in the group that consists of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, and francium

Medical Definition

alkali metal

noun
: any of the univalent mostly basic metals of group I of the periodic table comprising lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, and francium

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