Synonyms:
base, alkali
Meaning: any of various water-soluble compounds capable of turning litmus blue and reacting with an acid to form a salt and water; "bases include oxides and hydroxides of metals and ammonia"
Usage examples
'There isn't an alkali in the shop; I won't endanger you,' he replied easily.
A day's march of thirty miles across an alkali desert, under a blazing sun, is hardly a pleasure jaunt.