varec

V4A1R1E1C3

noun

The incinerated ash of certain coarse seaweeds, formerly used for the production of soda and iodine, among other compounds.

OriginFrench varech →
Scrabble 10
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Meanings

nounvarec (uncountable)
  1. archaicuncountableThe incinerated ash of certain coarse seaweeds, formerly used for the production of soda and iodine, among other compounds.

    Potash was scarce because of the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815), and Bernard Courtois had resorted to varec imported from the Brittany and Normandy seacoasts [5].

    2015, James L. Marshall, Virginia R. Marshall, “9: History of Iodine”, in Tatsuo Kaiho, editor, Iodine Chemistry and Applications, page 203
  2. archaicuncountableThe seaweed itself; generally species of fucus or wrack.

Origin

  1. Frenchvarech
  2. Englishvarec

French varech; of Teutonic origin. See wrack and compare vraic.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French varech
  • varechseaweed

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

cravecarvecaver
Cite this entry
APA

varec. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/varec

MLA

“varec.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/varec. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “varec,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/varec.

Source: varec on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.