saline

1 of 2

adjective

sa·​line ˈsā-ˌlēn How to pronounce saline (audio)
-ˌlīn
1
: consisting of or containing salt
a saline solution
2
: of, relating to, or resembling salt : salty
a saline taste
3
: consisting of or relating to the salts of the alkali metals or of magnesium
a saline cathartic
salinity noun

saline

2 of 2

noun

1
: a metallic salt
especially : a salt of potassium, sodium, or magnesium with a cathartic action
2
: a saline solution
especially : one isosmotic with body fluids

Examples of saline in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
And, though Antioch has pre-1914 water rights and can pump from the river, in recent years the water has become increasingly saline, so the city often has had to rely on purchasing more expensive raw water from the Contra Costa Water District. Judith Prieve, The Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2024 The Salton Sea is a shallow, landlocked, highly saline body of water in Riverside and Imperial counties. Jonathan Vigliotti, CBS News, 22 Sep. 2023 One of the best known, though not particularly pricey, ristoranti is the amiably elegant Al Pescatore ( Piazza Fedrico II de Svevia), set near the sea, which brings its saline air to the verandah and al fresco tables. John Mariani, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2022 An analysis of the fluid from the saline bag used during the teen’s surgery revealed the presence of bupivacaine, epinephrine and lidocaine, other drugs that could have caused the patient’s sudden symptoms. Dallas News, 15 Sep. 2022 The experiment will give scientists a first-ever look at how waves at the lagoon mix with buoyant plumes, or masses of fresher water that enter saline regions during river outflow, the team said. Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 27 Jan. 2023 Ghadavi, 30, blames the decrease in output on the saline water and the fly ash from the Adani power plant that has polluted the groundwater tables and broken the pollination process. Forbes Wealth Team, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2023 Hundreds of desiccated fish dot stream banks, along with the carcasses of water buffalo poisoned by saline water. Wil Crisp, WIRED, 21 Jan. 2023 Utah’s Great Salt Lake may dry up within 5 years North America’s largest saline lake could be gone by 2028 if water inflows are not restored, researchers warned last week. Byscience News Staff, science.org, 12 Jan. 2023
Noun
They can be found throughout the world but are far less common than other saline bodies of water. Ayurella Horn-Muller, CNN, 17 Feb. 2024 Be sure to top off your mixture with 4 dashes of peppercorn tincture and a dash of saline solution. Claudia Alarcón, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 Other at-home remedies can help to relieve discomfort caused by symptoms, such as placing a humidifier in their room, using saline nose drops or stream to help clear sinuses, offering age-appropriate solutions to sore throats such as cough drops or honey, or applying vapor rub to the chest. USA TODAY, 3 Feb. 2024 The water is saline enough, when amended with other minerals, to grow shrimp and grow them fast. Patrik Jonsson, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jan. 2024 Ease congestion with over-the-counter saline nose drops. Nicole Harris, Parents, 25 Aug. 2023 Clean the area: Use a sterile saline wound wash spray twice per day. Madeleine Burry, Health, 1 Feb. 2024 Over the past 20 years, Astudillo’s father has experimented with growing trees in the infertile, saline soils. Julia Shipley, WIRED, 13 Jan. 2024 Not to mention this neti pot is set at an affordable price and includes a good amount of saline packets. Caroline Thomason, Verywell Health, 15 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'saline.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French salin, from Latin salinus, from sal salt — more at salt

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of saline was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near saline

Cite this Entry

“Saline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saline. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

saline

adjective
sa·​line
ˈsā-ˌlēn,
-ˌlīn
1
: consisting of or containing salt
a saline solution
2
: of, relating to, or resembling salt
salinity
sā-ˈlin-ət-ē
sə-
noun

Medical Definition

saline

1 of 2 adjective
1
: consisting of or containing salt
a saline solution
2
: of, relating to, or resembling salt : salty
a saline taste
3
: consisting of or relating to the salts especially of lithium, sodium, potassium, and magnesium
a saline cathartic
4
: relating to or being abortion induced by the injection of a highly concentrated saline solution into the amniotic sac
saline amniocentesis

saline

2 of 2 noun
1
a
: a metallic salt
especially : a salt of potassium, sodium, or magnesium with a cathartic action
b
: an aqueous solution of one or more such salts
2
: a saline solution used in physiology
especially : physiological saline

More from Merriam-Webster on saline

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