Borax definitions

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

BO'RAX, n. Sub-borate of soda; a salt formed by the combination of boracic acid with the marine alkali or soda. It is brought from the East Indies, where it is said to be found at the bottom or on the margin of certain lakes,particularly in Thibet. It is said to be artificially prepared in Persia, like niter. It comes in three states. 1. Crude borax, tinkal, or chrysocolla, from Persia, in greenish masses of a greasy feel, or in opake crystals. 2. Borax of China, somewhat purer, in small plates or masses, irregularly crystallized, and of a dirty white. 3. Dutch or purified borax, in portions of transparent crystals, which is the kind generally used. It is an excellent flux in docimastic operations, a styptic in medicine, and useful in soldering metals.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an ore of boron consisting of hydrated sodium borate; used as a flux or cleansing agent

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English boras, from Anglo-French boreis, from Medieval Latin borac-, borax, from Arabic b?raq, from Persian b?rah Date: 14th century a white crystalline compound that consists of a hydrated sodium borate Na₂B₄O₇•10H₂O, that occurs as a mineral or is prepared from other minerals, and that is used especially as a flux, cleansing agent, and water softener, as a preservative, and as a fireproofing agent II. noun Etymology: origin unknown Date: 1932 cheap shoddy merchandise

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 the mineral salt sodium borate, occurring in alkaline deposits as an efflorescence or as crystals. 2 the purified form of this salt, used in making glass and china, and as an antiseptic. Etymology: ME f. OF boras f. med.L borax f. Arab. burak f. Pers. burah

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Borax Bo"rax, n. [OE. boras, fr. F. borax, earlier spelt borras; cf. LL. borax, Sp. borraj; all fr. Ar. b?rag, fr. Pers. b?rah.] A white or gray crystalline salt, with a slight alkaline taste, used as a flux, in soldering metals, making enamels, fixing colors on porcelain, and as a soap. It occurs native in certain mineral springs, and is made from the boric acid of hot springs in Tuscany. It was originally obtained from a lake in Thibet, and was sent to Europe under the name of tincal. Borax is a pyroborate or tetraborate of sodium, Na2B4O7.10H2O. Borax bead. (Chem.) See Bead, n., 3.