ALUM

Alum

Alum is both a specific chemical compound and a class of chemical compounds. The specific compound is the hydrated potassium aluminium sulfate with the formula KAl2ยท12. More widely, alums are double sulfate salts, with the formula, where A is a monovalent cation such as potassium or ammonium and M is a trivalent metal ion such as aluminium or chromium.

The above text is a snippet from Wikipedia: Alum
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

alum

Noun

  1. An astringent salt, usually occurring in the form of pale crystals, much used in the dyeing and tanning trade and in certain medicines, and now understood to be a double sulphate of potassium and aluminium (K2SO4.Al2(SO4)3.24H2O).
  2. Any similar double sulphate in which either or both of the potassium and aluminium is wholly or partly replaced by other univalent or tervalent cations.

Noun (etymology 2)

  1. A graduate of a university or other institution.

Verb

  1. To steep in, or otherwise impregnate with, a solution of alum; to treat with alum.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: alum
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

Need help with a clue?
Try your search in the crossword dictionary!