[f. ELECTRO- + Gr. λυτός loosed, f. λύειν to loose.] ‘A body which can be, or is being decomposed by ELECTROLYSIS’ (Syd. Soc. Lex.).
1834. Faraday, Res. Electr. (1839), § 664. Many bodies are decomposed directly by the electric current,… these I propose to call electrolytes.
1842. W. Grove, Corr. Phys. Forces (1874), 143. All liquids capable of being decomposed by the voltaic electrical force, thence called Electrolytes.
1885. Watson & Burbury, Math. Th. Electr. & Magn., I. 231. The same constituent which in one electrolyte becomes an anion, may in another electrolyte become a cation.
Hence Electrolytic a. [see -IC], pertaining to, or capable of, electrolysis. Electrolytical a. = prec. Electrolytically adv., by means of electrolysis.
1834. Faraday, Res. Electr. (1839), § 664. The term electrolytical will be understood at once. Muriatic acid is electrolytical, boracic acid is not.
1842. W. Grove, Corr. Phys. Forces (1874), 153. Electrolytic power of water.
1861. Miller, in Circ. Sc., I. 167/2. Decomposition … by electrolytic action.
1872. Cohen, Dis. Throat, 208. The improvement began with the institution of the electrolytic treatment.
1843. W. Grove, Contrib. Sc., in Corr. Phys. Forces (1874), 279. Completion of the circuit and the electrolytical action are synchronous.
187[?]. Chamb. Encycl., s.v. Galvanism, Gold … can be deposited electrolytically.
