Potash

Pronunciation

• US IPA: /pÉ’t.æʃ/

Origin

Potash comes from the word potasch (in modern spelling potas), coined by the Dutch in 1598. The literal translation is pot ash, because it was made by burning wood to ashes in a large pot. The English word Potash dates back to 1648.

Noun

1. the water-soluble part of the ash formed by burning plant material; used for making soap, glass and as a fertilizer
2. (chemistry) an impure form of potassium carbonate (K

1. (chemistry, archaic) in the names of compounds of the form "... of potash", potassium (for example, "permanganate of potash" = potassium permanganate)

Derived terms

Related terms

• potass
• potassa
• potassium

Anagrams

• Pashto
• pathos