Slaked

Slaked is the past participle of the verb slake. Slake means to quench, satisfy, or relieve a need or desire. In everyday usage, thirst, curiosity, or hunger can be slaked. The term can describe something that has had a need satisfied, as in “his thirst was slaked” or “curiosity was slaked,” and it is sometimes used more generally to indicate relief from discomfort or tension.

In chemistry and industry, slaked lime is a common usage term. Slaked lime refers to calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)2, produced by adding water to quicklime (calcium oxide). The reaction CaO + H2O → Ca(OH)2 is exothermic and yields a white, alkaline substance.

Uses of slaked lime span construction, agriculture, water treatment, and food processing. In traditional building, lime mortar and lime plaster rely on slaked lime for setting and workability. In agriculture, it neutralizes acidic soils and provides calcium. In water treatment, calcium hydroxide is employed to adjust pH and remove impurities. In food processing, nixtamalization uses lime to treat maize, improving flavor, texture, and nutritional availability.

Outside the lime context, slaked remains a general descriptor for something that has been quenched or satisfied. While most common in expressions about thirst or curiosity, the term can appear in historical or technical writing to indicate that a need or problem has been alleviated.