lixiviate
/ˈlɪk.sɪ.vi.eɪt/ IELTSAcademic
verb
To wash a substance with a liquid so that useful parts dissolve and can be removed. In science, it often means to pass liquid through soil or ash.
- Rainwater can lixiviate minerals from the soil.
- The chemist lixiviated the sample with water.
- Acid can lixiviate metal salts from rock.
Adinary Nuance
Lixiviate is much more technical than wash, leach, or dissolve. Writers use it in science, chemistry, or geology, not in everyday speech. Leach is the closest near-neighbor in modern English, and it is more common than lixiviate.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- chiết rửa
- Spanish
- lixiviar
- Chinese
- 浸出
- Japanese
- 浸出する
- Korean
- 침출하다
Etymology
From Latin lixiviare, based on lixivia meaning 'lye' or 'washing water'. It entered English in the 17th century as a technical word.
Common phrases
lixiviate mineralslixiviate saltslixiviated by water
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is lixiviate a common word?
- No. It is rare and mainly used in science, chemistry, or geology.
- What is the difference between lixiviate and leach?
- Leach is the common word. Lixiviate is a more formal technical word with a similar meaning.
- Can I use lixiviate in everyday conversation?
- Usually no. It sounds too technical for normal conversation.