Electrolyte
/ɪˈlɛk.troʊ.laɪt/noun
A substance that dissociates into ions in solution and conducts electricity.
Did you know?The term was coined by Michael Faraday in 1834, when he used electro- to describe electricity-driven change and -lyte from Greek lytos, meaning “loosened” or “dissolved,” because the substance is broken apart into ions.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*leu-
“to loosen, split, or release”
Ancient Greek
Greek
λυτός (lytos)
“loosened, dissolved, or able to be dissolved”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ἤλεκτρον (ēlektron)
“amber; the material associated with static electricity”
1834
English
electrolyte
“Faraday’s term for a substance that can be decomposed by electricity”
Modern English
English
electrolyte
“a substance that conducts electricity when dissolved or molten through the movement of ions”