Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense salts, present participle salting, past tense, past participle salted
1. uncountable noun
Salt is a strong-tasting substance, in the form of white powder or crystals, which is used to improve the flavour of food or to preserve it. Salt occurs naturally in sea water.
Season lightly with salt and pepper.
...a pinch of salt.
Synonyms: seasoning, sodium chloride, table salt, rock salt More Synonyms of salt
2. verb
When you salt food, you add salt to it.
Salt the stock to your taste and leave it simmering very gently. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: add salt to, flavour with salt More Synonyms of salt
saltedadjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
Put a pan of salted water on to boil.
...lightly salted butter.
3. countable noun [usually plural]
Salts are substances that are formed when an acid reacts with an alkali.
The rock is rich in mineral salts.
Synonyms: substance More Synonyms of salt
4. See also Epsom salts, smelling salts
5.
See salt of the earth
6.
See to take something with a pinch of salt
7.
See worth one's salt
8.
See to rub salt into the wound
Phrasal verbs:
See salt away
More Synonyms of salt
salt in British English
(sɔːlt)
noun
1.
a white powder or colourless crystalline solid, consisting mainly of sodium chloride and used for seasoning and preserving food
2. (modifier)
preserved in, flooded with, containing, or growing in salt or salty water
salt pork
salt marshes
3. chemistry
any of a class of usually crystalline solid compounds that are formed from, or can be regarded as formed from, an acid and a base by replacement of one or more hydrogen atoms in the acid molecules by positive ions from the base
4.
liveliness or pungency
his wit added salt to the discussion
5.
dry or laconic wit
6.
a sailor, esp one who is old and experienced
7. short for saltcellar
8. rub salt into someone's wounds
9. salt of the earth
10. with a grain of salt
11. worth one's salt
verb(transitive)
12.
to season or preserve with salt
13.
to scatter salt over (an icy road, path, etc) to melt the ice
14.
to add zest to
15. (often foll bydown or away)
to preserve or cure with salt or saline solution
16. chemistry
to treat with common salt or other chemical salt
17.
to provide (cattle, etc) with salt
18.
to give a false appearance of value to, esp to introduce valuable ore fraudulently into (a mine, sample, etc)
adjective
19.
not sour, sweet, or bitter; salty
20. obsolete
rank or lascivious (esp in the phrase a salt wit)
Derived forms
saltish (ˈsaltish)
adjective
saltless (ˈsaltless)
adjective
saltlike (ˈsaltˌlike)
adjective
saltness (ˈsaltness)
noun
Word origin
Old English sealt; related to Old Norse, Gothic salt, German Salz, Lettish sāls, Latin sāl, Greek hals
SALT in British English
(sɔːlt)
noun acronym for
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks or Treaty
SALT in American English
(sɔlt)
US
noun
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks
salt in American English
(sɔlt)
noun
1.
sodium chloride, NaCl, a white, crystalline substance with a characteristic taste, found in natural beds, in sea water, etc., and used for seasoning and preserving foods, etc.
2.
a chemical compound derived from an acid by replacing hydrogen, wholly or partly, with a metal or an electropositive radical
the salt of an -ous acid is usually indicated by the suffix -ite, the salt of an -ic acid by the suffix -ate
3.
that which lends a tang or piquancy; esp., sharp pungent humor or wit
4.
saltcellar
5. [pl.]
any of various mineral salts used as a cathartic, as Epsom salts, or to soften bath water, as a restorative, etc.
6. Informal
a sailor, esp. an experienced one
adjective
7.
containing salt
8.
preserved with salt
9.
tasting or smelling of salt
10. Rare
pungent or biting
11.
a.
flooded with salt water
b.
growing in salt water
verb transitive
12.
to sprinkle or season with salt
13.
to preserve with salt or in a salt solution
14.
to provide with salt
15.
to treat with salt in chemical processes
16.
to season or give a tang to
to salt a speech with wit
17.
to give artificial value to
; specif.,
a.
to alter (books, prices, etc.) in order to give false value
b. US
to scatter minerals or ores in (a mine), put oil in (a well), etc. in order to deceive prospective buyers
Idioms:
above (or below) the salt
salt away
salt of the earth
salt out
with a grain of salt
worth one's salt
Derived forms
saltlike (ˈsaltˌlike)
adjective
saltness (ˈsaltness)
noun
Word origin
ME < OE sealt, akin to Ger salz < IE base *sal-, salt > L sal, Gr hāls, salt, Sans salila, salty
salt in Hospitality
(sɔlt)
noun
(Hospitality (hotel): Food and drink, herbs and spices)
Salt is a strong-tasting substance, in the form of white powder or crystals, which isused to improve the flavor of food or to preserve it. Salt occurs naturally in seawater.
Season the food lightly with salt and pepper.
Put pots of salt and pepper on the tables.
Too much salt ruins the flavor of a dish.
sea salt
More idioms containing
salt
no-one worth their salt would do something
rub salt into the wound
the salt of the earth
take something with a pinch of salt
Examples of 'salt' in a sentence
salt
Whisk with a fork and season lightly with salt and generously with pepper.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The sweet and the salt of life are always together.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
We had seen good steps with salt.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Mix in the salt and baking powder and cut in the butter in small pieces.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Sprinkle with a little sea salt and olive oil and serve.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
They are the salt of the earth.
The Sun (2011)
Sprinkle with a little salt and use the flat of a knife to work to a paste.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Make vinaigrette by dissolving a pinch of salt and sugar in lemon juice.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together and season to taste with salt and pepper.
The Sun (2013)
She admitted to adding salt to her food at mealtimes and always put some in her cooking.
Whiteside, Dr Mike Banish Headaches -how to obtain fast, drug-free relief from headache (1990)
It is high in salt and fat and could sugar by swapping squash for.
The Sun (2015)
There are only two ingredients in salted butter.
The Sun (2010)
Use herbs in place of salt to enhance flavours.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The elephants come to the clearing in their dozens to swallow mineral salts essential to their diet.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
The Sun (2014)
Stir in ¼ tsp salt and leave to cool to room temperature.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Word lists with
salt
herb
In other languages
salt
British English: salt /sɔːlt/ NOUN
Salt is a substance in the form of white powder or crystals, used to improve the flavour of food or to preserve it. Salt occurs naturally in sea water.
Now add salt and pepper.
American English: salt
Arabic: مِلْح
Brazilian Portuguese: sal
Chinese: 盐
Croatian: sol
Czech: sůl
Danish: salt
Dutch: zout
European Spanish: sal
Finnish: suola
French: sel
German: Salz
Greek: αλάτι
Italian: sale
Japanese: 塩
Korean: 소금
Norwegian: salt
Polish: sól
European Portuguese: sal
Romanian: sare
Russian: соль
Latin American Spanish: sal
Swedish: salt
Thai: เกลือ
Turkish: tuz
Ukrainian: сіль
Vietnamese: muối
All related terms of 'salt'
acid salt
a salt formed by partial replacement of the acidic hydrogen atoms of the parent acid
dry-salt
to preserve (food) by salting and removing moisture
rock salt
Rock salt is salt that is formed in the ground. It is obtained by mining .
salt away
If someone salts away sums of money, they save the money for the future , often illegally.
salt bath
a bath of molten salts in which steel can be immersed to soak to a uniform and accurately maintained temperature as part of the process of heat treatment. Different salts are used for different temperatures
salt beef
beef that has been preserved in salt
salt-box
a box in which salt is kept
salt cake
an impure form of sodium sulphate obtained as a by-product in several industrial processes: used in the manufacture of detergents , glass, and ceramic glazes
salt cod
cod that has been preserved in salt
salt dome
a domelike structure of stratified rocks containing a central core of salt : formed by the upward movement of a salt deposit
salt flat
a flat expanse of salt left by the total evaporation of a body of water
salt-free
containing or involving no salt
salt lake
an inland lake of high salinity resulting from inland drainage in an arid area of high evaporation
salt lick
a place where wild animals go to lick naturally occurring salt deposits
salt mine
a mine where rock salt is extracted
salt out
to cause (a dissolved substance) to come out of solution by adding an electrolyte
salt pan
a shallow basin , usually in a desert region, containing salt, gypsum , etc, that was deposited from an evaporated salt lake
salt pork
pork , esp the fat pork taken from the back , sides , and belly , that has been cured with salt
salt tax
any of various taxes imposed on salt , such as the French gabelle ( abolished 1790) or that in India (abolished 1946)
sea salt
salt obtained by evaporation of sea water
sour salt
crystals of citric acid or tartaric acid, used in flavoring foods, in pharmaceuticals, etc.
Attic salt
refined incisive wit
celery salt
a seasoning made of salt and ground celery seed
common salt
common table salt; a soluble colourless crystalline compound occurring naturally as halite and in sea water: widely used as a seasoning and preservative for food and in the manufacture of chemicals, glass, and soap . Formula: NaCl
double salt
a solid solution of two simple salts formed by crystallizing a solution of the two salts
garlic salt
a blend of ground, dried garlic and salt, used as a seasoning
kosher salt
a coarse flaky salt that contains no additives , used in cooking and in preparing kosher meals
salt cellar
A salt cellar is a small container for salt with a hole or holes in the top for shaking salt onto food.
salt glaze
a ceramic glaze on stoneware produced by the chemical reaction that occurs when salt is thrown into a kiln during firing
salt grass
any of various grasses growing in salt marshes or alkaline soils ; esp., any of a genus ( Distichlis ) of North American perennial grasses
salt marsh
A salt marsh is an area of flat , wet ground which is sometimes covered by salt water or contains areas of salt water.
Salt River
river in SC Ariz., flowing into the Gila River: c . 200 mi (322 km)
salt shaker
A salt shaker is the same as a → salt cellar .
salt spoon
a small spoon used at the table for putting salt into food
salt water
Salt water is water from the sea, which has salt in it.
table salt
salt that is used at table rather than for cooking
complex salt
a salt that contains one or more complex ions
cooking salt
a type of salt used in cooking
iodized salt
common table salt to which a small amount of sodium iodide or potassium iodide has been added
kitchen salt
coarse salt that is used in cooking but not at the table
Rochelle salt
a white crystalline double salt , sodium potassium tartrate , used in Seidlitz powder . Formula : KNaC 4 H 4 O 6 .4H 2 O
volatile salt
a solution of ammonium carbonate in alcohol and aqueous ammonia , often containing aromatic oils, used as smelling salts
diazonium salt
any of a class of compounds with the general formula ArN:N – M + , where Ar is an aryl group and M is a metal atom ; made by the action of nitrous acid on aromatic amines and used in dyeing
Glauber's salt
the crystalline decahydrate of sodium sulphate
sulfonium salt
any one of a class of salts derived by the addition of a proton to the sulphur atom of a thiol or thio-ether thus producing a positive ion ( sulphonium ion )
microcosmic salt
a white soluble solid obtained from human urine ; ammonium sodium hydrogen phosphate . It is used as a flux in bead tests on metal oxides
salt dome trap
A salt dome trap is an area where oil has been trapped underground by salt pushing upward .
Salt Lake City
a city in N central Utah , near the Great Salt Lake at an altitude of 1330 m (4300 ft): state capital; founded in 1847 as world capital of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ( Mormon Church); University of Utah (1850). Pop: 179 894 (2003 est)
SALT negotiations
international diplomatic discussions carried out in connection with SALT
coarse-grain salt
salt with a much larger grain size than table salt
Chinese translation of 'salt'
salt
(sɔːlt)
n(u)
盐(鹽) (yán)
vt
(= flavour) 加盐(鹽)于(於) (jiā yán yú)
(= preserve) 用盐(鹽)腌(醃) (yòng yán yān)
cpd
[lake, deposits]盐(鹽) (yán)
to take sth with a pinch or grain of salt对(對)某事半信半疑 (duì mǒushì bàn xìn bàn yí)
the salt of the earth社会(會)中坚(堅)分子 (shèhuì zhōngjiān fènzǐ)
worth one's salt称(稱)职(職) (chènzhí)
All related terms of 'salt'
salt cellar
盐(鹽)瓶 yánpíng [ 美 = salt shaker ]
salt shaker
盐(鹽)瓶 yánpíng [ 个(個) gè ] [ 英 = salt cellar ]
worth one's salt
称(稱)职(職) chènzhí
low in calories/salt/fat
低卡路里/盐(鹽)/脂肪 dī kǎlùlǐ/yán/zhīfáng
the salt of the earth
社会(會)中坚(堅)分子 shèhuì zhōngjiān fènzǐ
to take sth with a pinch or grain of salt
对(對)某事半信半疑 duì mǒushì bàn xìn bàn yí
1 (noun)
Definition
sodium chloride, a white crystalline substance, used for seasoning and preserving food
a pinch of salt
Synonyms
seasoning
sodium chloride
table salt
rock salt
2 (noun)
Definition
an experienced sailor
‘Did he look like an old sea salt?’ I asked, laughing.
Synonyms
sailor
A navy spokesman said one sailor is still missing.
marine
or woman">seaman or woman
The men emigrate to work as seamen.
mariner
He has the weatherbeaten face of a mariner.
tar (informal)
hearty (informal)
navigator
Which of you is the best navigator?
sea dog
seafarer
matelot (slang, mainly British)
Jack Tar
seafaring man or woman or person
lascar
leatherneck (slang)
3 (noun)
The rock is rich in mineral salts.
Synonyms
substance
4 (noun)
Definition
lively wit
Synonyms
wit
bite
I'd have preferred a bit more bite and not so much sugar.
punch
zip (informal)
He gave the choreography his usual class and zip.
zest
Lemon oil adds zest to your cuppa.
sharpness
sarcasm
liveliness
piquancy
a little mustard to add piquancy
pungency
dry humour
Attic wit
taste
flavour
The cheese has a strong flavour.
(verb)
Definition
to season or preserve with salt
Salt the stock to your taste.
Synonyms
add salt to
flavour with salt
(adjective)
Definition
preserved in or tasting of salt
Put a pan of salt water on to boil.
Synonyms
salty
organisms adapted to survive in very salty water
salted
saline
brackish
shallow pools of brackish water
briny
idioms
See rub salt into the wound
See with a grain or pinch of salt
See worth your salt
Additional synonyms
in the sense of bite
I'd have preferred a bit more bite and not so much sugar.