salt

Primary Meanings of salt

1.	n v	white crystalline form of especially sodium chloride used to season and preserve food add salt to
2.	adj	(of speech) painful or bitter

Full Definitions of salt

n white crystalline form of especially sodium chloride used to season and preserve food

Synonyms:: common salt, table salt

Type of:: flavorer, flavoring, flavourer, flavouring, seasoner, seasoning
something added to food primarily for the savor it imparts

n a compound formed by replacing hydrogen in an acid by a metal (or a radical that acts like a metal)

Types:: show 108 types...; hide 108 types...; acetate, ethanoate
a salt or ester of acetic acid; citrate
a salt or ester of citric acid; arsenate
a salt or ester of arsenic acid; chlorate
any salt of chloric acid; dibasic salt
a salt derived by replacing two hydrogen atoms per molecule; hypochlorite
any salt or ester of hypochlorous acid; pyrophosphate
a salt or ester of pyrophosphoric acid; sulfonate
a salt of sulphonic acid; lactate
a salt or ester of lactic acid; perchlorate
a salt of perchloric acid; alkali
a mixture of soluble salts found in arid soils and some bodies of water; detrimental to agriculture; ammonium chloride, sal ammoniac
a white salt used in dry cells; benzoate
any salt or ester of benzoic acid; borate
a salt or ester of boric acid; borosilicate
a salt of boric and silicic acids; calcium lactate
a white crystalline salt made by the action of lactic acid on calcium carbonate; used in foods (as a baking powder) and given medically as a source of calcium; calcium octadecanoate, calcium stearate
an insoluble calcium salt of stearic acid and palmitic acid; it is formed when soap is mixed with water that contains calcium ions and is the scum produced in regions of hard water; carbamate
a salt (or ester) of carbamic acid; carbonate
a salt or ester of carbonic acid (containing the anion CO3); fulminate
a salt or ester of fulminic acid; chromate
any salt or ester of chromic acid; cyanide
an extremely poisonous salt of hydrocyanic acid; potassium bromide
a white crystalline salt (KBr) used as a sedative and in photography; potassium chlorate
a white salt (KClO3) used in matches, fireworks, and explosives; also used as a disinfectant and bleaching agent; potassium dichromate
an orange-red salt used in making dyes and in photography; ferricyanide
salt of ferricyanic acid obtained by oxidation of a ferrocyanide; ferrocyanide
salt of ferrocyanic acid usually obtained by a reaction of a cyanide with iron sulphate; fluoroboride
a salt of fluoroboric acid; fluosilicate
salt of fluosilicic acid; glutamate
a salt or ester of glutamic acid; halide
a salt of any halogen acid; isocyanate
a salt or ester of isocyanic acid; calcium chloride
a deliquescent salt; used in de-icing and as a drying agent; calcium sulfate, calcium sulphate
a white salt (CaSO4); manganate
a salt of manganic acid containing manganese as its anion; chrome alum
a violet-colored salt used in hide tanning and as a mordant in dyeing; tartrate
a salt or ester of tartaric acid; oxalacetate, oxaloacetate
a salt or ester of oxalacetic acid; oxalate
a salt or ester of oxalic acid; permanganate
a dark purple salt of permanganic acid; in water solution it is used as a disinfectant and antiseptic; inorganic phosphate, orthophosphate, phosphate
a salt of phosphoric acid; polyphosphate
a salt or ester of polyphosphoric acid; acrylate, propenoate
a salt or ester of propenoic acid; salicylate
a salt of salicylic acid (included in several commonly used drugs); double salt
a solution of two simple salts that forms a single substance on crystallization; bile salt
a salt of bile acid and a base; functions as an emulsifier of lipids and fatty acids; Glauber's salt, Glauber's salts
(Na2SO4.10H2O) a colorless salt used as a cathartic; cream of tartar, potassium bitartrate, potassium hydrogen tartrate, tartar
a salt used especially in baking powder; sodium chlorate
a colorless salt (NaClO3) used as a weed killer and an antiseptic; bichromate, dichromate
a salt of the hypothetical dichromic acid; sodium bichromate, sodium dichromate
a red-orange salt used as a mordant; microcosmic salt
a white salt present in urine and used to test for metal oxides; silicate
a salt or ester derived from silicic acid; sal soda, soda, soda ash, sodium carbonate, washing soda
a sodium salt of carbonic acid; used in making soap powders and glass and paper; sodium carboxymethyl cellulose
a gummy substance that is a sodium salt of carboxymethyl cellulose; used as a thickening or emulsifying agent; sodium fluoride
a colorless crystalline salt of sodium (NaF) used in fluoridation of water and to prevent tooth decay; sulfate, sulphate
a salt or ester of sulphuric acid; thiocyanate
a salt of thiocyanic acid; formed when alkaline cyanides are fused with sulfur; tungstate
a salt of tungstic acid; urate
a salt of uric acid; vanadate
a salt or ester of vanadic acid; an anion containing pentavalent vanadium; xanthate
a salt or ester of xanthic acid; Bayer, Empirin, St. Joseph, acetylsalicylic acid, aspirin
the acetylated derivative of salicylic acid; used as an analgesic anti-inflammatory drug (trade names Bayer, Empirin, and St. Joseph) usually taken in tablet form; used as an antipyretic; slows clotting of the blood by poisoning platelets; acetin
any of three liquid acetates that are formed when acetic acid and glycerin are heated together; alum, potash alum, potassium alum
a white crystalline double sulfate of aluminum: the potassium double sulfate of aluminum; alum, ammonia alum, ammonium alum
a white crystalline double sulfate of aluminum: the ammonium double sulfate of aluminum; gypsum
a common white or colorless mineral (hydrated calcium sulphate) used to make cements and plasters (especially plaster of Paris); alkylbenzenesulfonate
sulfonate of alkyl benzene; ammonium carbamate
a salt of carbamic acid that is used as a nitrogen fertilizer; ammonium carbonate
a carbonate of ammonium; used in the manufacture of smelling salts and baking powder and ammonium compounds; barium sulfate, barium sulphate, blanc fixe
a white insoluble radiopaque powder used as a pigment; benzoate of soda, sodium benzoate
a white crystalline salt used as a food preservative and antiseptic; bicarbonate, hydrogen carbonate
a salt of carbonic acid (containing the anion HCO3) in which one hydrogen atom has been replaced; an acid carbonate; bromide
any of the salts of hydrobromic acid; formerly used as a sedative but now generally replaced by safer drugs; calcium hypochlorite
any hypochlorite of calcium; used as a bleaching agent; calcium phosphate
a phosphate of calcium; a main constituent of animal bones; fulminate of mercury, fulminating mercury, mercury fulminate
a fulminate that when dry explodes violently if struck or heated; used in detonators and blasting caps and percussion caps; lead chromate
a poisonous chromate of lead used as a pigment in paint; copper sulfate, copper sulphate, cupric sulfate, cupric sulphate
a copper salt made by the action of sulfuric acid on copper oxide; sodium cyanide
a white poisonous salt (NaCN) used in electroplating; potassium carbonate
a white salt (K2CO3) that is basic in solution; used to make glass and cleansing agents; potassium cyanide
a poisonous salt (KCN) used in electroplating and in photography; fluoride
a salt of hydrofluoric acid; iodide
a salt or ester of hydriodic acid; calcium carbonate
a salt found in nature as chalk or calcite or aragonite or limestone; Eskalith, Lithane, Lithonate, lithium carbonate
a white powder (LiCO3) used in manufacturing glass and ceramics and as a drug; the drug (trade names Lithane or Lithonate or Eskalith) is used to treat some forms of depression and manic episodes of manic-depressive disorder; magnesium carbonate
a very white crystalline salt that occurs naturally as magnesite or as dolomite; magnesium sulfate
a salt of magnesium; birch oil, methyl salicylate, sweet-birch oil
a liquid ester with a strong odor of wintergreen; applied externally for minor muscle and joint pain; antimony potassium tartrate, tartar emetic
a poisonous colorless salt used as a mordant and in medicine; bitartrate
an acid tartrate; a hydrogen tartrate; cellulose xanthate, viscose
a cellulose ester obtained by treating cellulose with caustic soda; lead acetate, sugar of lead
a poisonous white solid (Pb[CH3CO]2) used in dyeing cotton and in making enamels and varnishes; plaster, plaster of Paris
any of several gypsum cements; a white powder (a form of calcium sulphate) that forms a paste when mixed with water and hardens into a solid; used in making molds and sculptures and casts for broken limbs; potassium ferrocyanide, yellow prussiate of potash
a cyanide compound that is prepared by the reaction of potassium cyanide with ferrous salts; commonly used by gardeners; permanganate of potash, potassium permanganate
a poisonous salt that forms dark purple crystals and is purple-red when dissolved in water; used as an oxidizing and bleaching agent and as a disinfectant and antiseptic; Rochelle salt, Rochelle salts, potassium sodium tartrate
a double salt used in Seidlitz powder; acts as a cathartic; phenyl salicylate, salol
a white powder with a pleasant taste and odor; used to absorb light in sun tan lotions or as a preservative or an antiseptic or a coating for pills in which the medicine is intended for enteric release; Paris green
a toxic double salt of copper arsenate and copper acetate; chloride
any salt of hydrochloric acid (containing the chloride ion); sodium hypochlorite
an unstable salt (NaOCl) used as a bleaching agent and disinfectant; SLS, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium lauryl sulphate
a caustic detergent useful for removing grease; although commonly included in personal care items (shampoos and toothpastes etc.) it can irritate skin and should not be swallowed; sodium sulfate, sodium sulphate
a solid white bitter salt used in manufacturing glass and paper and dyes and pharmaceuticals; sodium orthophosphate, sodium phosphate
phosphate of sodium; used as a laxative to cleanse the bowels; tetrahalide
any halide containing four halogen atoms in its molecules; uranyl oxalate
a salt obtained by the reaction of uranium salts with oxalic acid; chalkstone, tophus
a deposit of urates around a joint or in the external ear; diagnostic of advanced or chronic gout; white vitriol, zinc sulfate, zinc sulphate, zinc vitriol
a colorless water-soluble powder; used as a mordant or to preserve wood or for the electrodeposition of zinc

Type of:: chemical compound, compound
(chemistry) a substance formed by chemical union of two or more elements or ingredients in definite proportion by weight

n the taste experience when common salt is taken into the mouth

Synonyms:: salinity, saltiness

Type of:: gustatory perception, gustatory sensation, taste, taste perception, taste sensation
the sensation that results when taste buds in the tongue and throat convey information about the chemical composition of a soluble stimulus

v add salt to

Type of:: flavor, flavour, season
lend flavor to

v preserve with salt

“people used to salt meats on ships”

Type of:: keep, preserve
prevent (food) from rotting

v sprinkle as if with salt

“the rebels had salted the fields with mines and traps”

Type of:: splash, splosh, sprinkle
cause (a liquid) to spatter about, especially with force

v add zest or liveliness to

“She salts her lectures with jokes”

Type of:: spice, spice up
make more interesting or flavorful

adj (of speech) painful or bitter

“" salt scorn"- Shakespeare”

“a salt apology”

Synonyms:: sharp
keenly and painfully felt; as if caused by a sharp edge or point