Borax

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  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.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     {Borax bead}. (Chem.) See {Bead}, n., 3.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  borax
       n : an ore of boron consisting of hydrated sodium borate; used
           as a flux or cleansing agent
       [also: {boraces} (pl)]