Quicklime
/ˈkwɪkˌlaɪm/noun
Calcium oxide, a caustic white substance made by heating limestone.
Did you know?The “quick” in quicklime is the old English word for “alive,” because the lime was thought to become active or “live” when it reacted violently with water.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
cwic
“alive, living”
Old English
OE
lim
“lime, a calcium-containing substance”
Middle English
ME
quik lyme
“living lime; caustic lime”
16th Century
English
quicklime
“unslaked lime, especially the reactive form made by burning limestone”
Modern English
English
quicklime
“calcium oxide, a caustic white substance made by heating limestone”
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