bo·rax¹ (bôr'ăks', -əks, bōr'-)
n.

1. A hydrated sodium borate, Na₂B₄O₇·10H₂O, an ore of boron, that is used as a cleaning compound.
2. An anhydrous sodium borate used in the manufacture of glass and various ceramics.

[Middle English, from Medieval Latin bōrāx, from Arabic būraq, from Middle Persian būrak.]

bo·rax² (bôr'ăks', bōr'-)
n.
Cheap merchandise, especially tasteless furnishings: "today's glinty borax" (New Yorker).

[Perhaps from the custom of giving away borax soap as a premium for the sale of cheap furniture.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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