alum

Etymology

Definitions

1. 1

   An astringent salt, usually occurring in the form of pale crystals, much used in the…

   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).

   • Venice also needed alum for trade, since it was the point of departure for overland transportation of alum to southern Germany and its cloth-manufacturing Free Cities.
   • A natural astringent and antiseptic, potassium alum was coveted for its medicinal and cosmetic properties.
2. 2

   Any similar double sulphate in which either or both of the potassium and aluminium is…

   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.

   • For similar reasons, aluminium sulphate and alums are used in dyeing cloth.[…]Normally alums are soluble in water and insoluble in alcohols.
   • In structure, the alums consist of simple ions, being not complexes, but double salts. Potash alum or potassium alum is the common alum, with the formula KAl(SO₄)₂·12H₂O) which, for convenience, may be written K₂SO₄·Al₂(SO₄)₃·24H₂O
3. 3

   To steep in, or otherwise impregnate with, a solution of alum

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

   • 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
   • After drying, the cloth was alumed and finally dyed.
4. ›+ 1 more definitionshow fewer

   1. 4

      A past attendee or graduate (of any gender) of a college, university or other educational…

      A past attendee or graduate (of any gender) of a college, university or other educational institution.

      • 1961 Spring, Anchora of Delta Gamma, Volume LXXVII, No. 3, page 59, Evanston-North Shore alums are happy to open their homes to Sigma actives for special social events.
      • You'll remember that we're starting with a list of slightly over 7,000 names that are alums (most of them over 50) that we'd like to whittle down to a manageable list of prospects.
      • All schools that last have alums, and, ancient as it was by American standards, Trinity by mid-century had thousands.

The neighborhood

• synonympotash alumdouble sulphate of potassium and aluminum
• neighboraluminiferous
• neighboraluniferous
• neighboraluminiform
• neighboraluminilite
• neighboraluminise
• neighboraluminize
• neighboraluminite
• neighboraluminous
• neighboralunite
• neighboralunogen
• neighborapjohnite
• neighborbosjemanite