Definition

To wash or filter out soluble substances from a material, usually by using water or another liquid.

Example

The chemist decided to lixiviate the soil sample to extract the minerals.

Tense Forms

Conversation

Have you ever tried to lixiviate plant materials to extract nutrients?

No, I haven't. How does that work?

You basically wash the materials to get the soluble stuff out.

That sounds interesting! I might give it a shot in my garden.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Lixiviate → It is formed from 'lixivium' (from Latin, meaning lye or alkaline solution) and the suffix '-ate' (indicating to make or to cause). The word 'lixiviate' means to extract or leach out a substance using a lye solution.

Memory Tip

Think of 'lixivium' as a lye solution that helps to 'extract' or 'leach out' substances, which is what lixiviate means.

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