Alum

Quick meaning: Alum is a noun meaning (transitive) To steep in, or otherwise impregnate with, a solution of alum; to treat with alum.

Meaning

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

More Meanings

1. (Canada, US) A past attendee or graduate (of any gender) of a college, university or other educational institution.
2. (inorganic chemistry) 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.
3. 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).

Example Sentences

After drying, the cloth was alumed and finally dyed.

A natural astringent and antiseptic, potassium alum was coveted for its medicinal and cosmetic properties.

For similar reasons, aluminium sulphate and alums are used in dyeing cloth.[…]Normally alums are soluble in water and insoluble in alcohols.

The silk should be boiled at the rate of 20 parts of soap per cent. , and then alumed. The aluming need not be so strong as for the fine crimson

Word Forms

• alums
• alumn
• aluming
• alumed
• alumni

Synonyms for alum

Depending on context, synonyms include alumni, alumnx, alumna, graduate, alumnus, grad.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include grad, alumnus, alumna, graduate, potash, hematoxylin.

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