lye

noun

ˈlī 

1

: a strong alkaline liquor rich in potassium carbonate leached from wood ashes and used especially in making soap and for washing

broadly : a strong alkaline solution (as of sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide)

2

: a solid caustic (such as sodium hydroxide)

Examples of lye in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The hardwood ashes in the fire pit are saved for lye soap. —Lizz Schumer, People.com, 15 Jan. 2025

It’s said that the water used to make the chewy rice noodle comes from the archaic Ba Le well and that its brown color comes from a lye solution made from the ash of a specific type of tree found on the Cham Islands just off the coast. —Christina Liao, Vogue, 27 Dec. 2024

Combine melted beeswax with an assortment of oils, such as palm oil, avocado oil, and sunflower oil, scented essential oils, water, and lye. —Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Oct. 2024

In their messages, the couple had discussed dumping the bodies into a hole, then treating them with lye or setting them on fire. —Christina Coulter, Fox News, 29 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English lēag; akin to Old High German louga lye, Latin lavare, lavere to wash, Greek louein

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

lye

noun

ˈlī 

1

: a strong alkaline liquid obtained from wood ashes and used especially in making soap and in washing

2

: any of various strong alkaline liquids

especially : sodium hydroxide

3

: a solid compound (as caustic soda) that causes chemical burns

Medical Definition

lye

noun

ˈlī 

1

: a strong alkaline liquor rich in potassium carbonate leached from wood ashes and used especially in making soap and washing

broadly : a strong alkaline solution (as of sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide)

2

: a solid caustic (as sodium hydroxide)