Sekirov Dictionary

alum

/ˈæl.əm/

noun 2
verb 1
/əˈlʌm/ noun 1
forms 4

noun2

•
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. — 1991
•
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. — 2000

verb1

•
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 — 1839

alum

/əˈlʌm/

noun1

•
(US, Canada) A past attendee or graduate (of any gender) of a college, university or other educational institution.
- Evanston-North Shore alums are happy to open their homes to Sigma actives for special social events. — 1961

forms

alumed · aluming · alums · alumni

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