salt

1 of 5

noun

1
a
: a crystalline compound NaCl that consists of sodium chloride, is abundant in nature, and is used especially to season or preserve food or in industry

called also common salt

b
: a substance (such as Glauber's salt) resembling common salt
c salts plural
(1)
: a mineral or saline mixture (such as Epsom salts) used as an aperient or cathartic
d
: any of various compounds that result from replacement of part or all of the acid hydrogen of an acid by a metal or a group acting like a metal : an ionic crystalline compound
2
: a container for salt at table
often used in the phrases above the salt and below the salt alluding to the former custom of seating persons of higher rank above and those of lower rank below a saltcellar placed in the middle of a long table
3
a
: an ingredient that gives savor, piquancy, or zest : flavor
a people … full of life, vigor, and the salt of personalityClifton Fadiman
b
: sharpness of wit : pungency
e
: a dependable steadfast person or group of people
usually used in the phrase salt of the earth
4
: sailor
a tale worthy of an old salt
5
: keep sense 1
usually used in the phrase worth one's salt
saltlike adjective

salt

2 of 5

verb

salted; salting; salts

transitive verb

1
a
: to treat, provide, or season with common salt
salt the food
salt a driveway
b
: to preserve (food) with salt or in brine
a supply of salted beef/fish
c
: to supply (an animal) with salt
the field where cattle are salted
2
: to give flavor or piquancy to (something, such as a story)
3
a
: to enrich (a mine) artificially by secretly placing valuable mineral in some of the working places
b
: to add something to secretly
salted the files with forged papers
also : to insert or place secretly
salted the mines along the road
4
a
: to sprinkle with or as if with a salt
salter noun

salt

3 of 5

adjective (1)

1
a
: full of or containing salt : saline, salty sense 1a
salt tears
a salt solution
b
: being, inducing, or marked by the one of the five basic taste sensations that is suggestive of seawater : salty sense 1b compare bitter entry 1 sense 1a, sour entry 1 sense 1, sweet entry 1 sense 1, umami entry 2
2
: cured or seasoned with salt : salted
salt cod
3
: overflowed with salt water
a salt pond
4
saltness noun

salt

4 of 5

adjective (2)

obsolete

SALT

5 of 5

abbreviation

1
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks
2
state and local taxes

Examples of salt in a Sentence

Noun The soup needs a little more salt. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Verb The meat was preserved by being salted and smoked. The city salted the roads after the snowstorm.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
For another iteration of the recipe, check out Bite-Size Honey Popcorn Balls, which are held together with a mixture of honey, butter, and salt. Blake Bakkila, Sunset Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 Of course, chocolate, olive oil and salt are not unfamiliar flavors in Barragán’s native Spain, where the combination is often served on bread as a snack or dessert. Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2024 Baking soda and salt are alkaline but are sometimes recommended in combination with vinegar or lemon juice as a way to include a mild abrasive. Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024 Countries in South America have begun implementing front-of-package nutritional labelling that includes clear warnings about fat, sugar and salt levels. Mira Cheng, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024 Add the garlic, thyme, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper and stir to coat. Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 29 Feb. 2024 Make cake layers: Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Liv Dansky, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2024 Add mustard greens, remaining ⅛ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder and remaining ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Bethany Thayer, Detroit Free Press, 24 Feb. 2024 Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and black pepper. Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
Do not salt too heavily because of the salt in the beef stock. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 8 Mar. 2024 Give some distance to trucks salting and brining streets to ensure the products hits the street and not your car. Drew Dawson, Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 Back-to-back defensive penalties on Baltimore, plus a 32-yard deep completion from Mahomes to receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, helped salt things away. Bob McManaman, The Arizona Republic, 29 Jan. 2024 For the snack mix: ¾ cup grated pecorino ¼ cup grated parmesan 2 cups salted, roasted corn nuts ½ cup pumpkin seeds ¼ cup almonds 1 tsp. Kat Petonito, Saveur, 21 Feb. 2024 Another is to salt the audience with partisans who talk out loud, make rude noises when the opposition is talking and even go so far as to intimidate anyone sitting nearby who supports the opposition. Dean Minnich, Baltimore Sun, 10 Feb. 2024 According to the Metro Snow Map, most of the streets in Louisville have been salted, while others are in progress. The Courier-Journal, 19 Jan. 2024 Upon arrival, public safety personnel were directed to an 86-year-old woman, who was hit by a landscaping truck from a local business coming to salt the lot. Kylie Martin, Detroit Free Press, 18 Jan. 2024 The Rams furiously rallied from down 31-7 to pull within 3 points and still 2:32 to play, but punt returner Toby Gowin muffed a punt with 1:51 to go, and the Saints recovered to salt the win away. Journal Sentinel, 17 Jan. 2024
Adjective
Here, the country starts looking seriously poor—more salt scrub than sagebrush. Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Aug. 2023 In addition to the obvious damage done to a vehicle’s upholstery and carpeting, floodwater is a corrosive and abrasive mixture of water and dirt (and sometimes salt) that works its way virtually everywhere within a vehicle. Jim Gorzelany, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2023 At the center of the home’s grounds is a 82-foot swimming pool complete with eco-friendly salt-water filtration system. David Kaufman, Robb Report, 22 Feb. 2023 After accounting for taxes and depreciation, depletion, and amortization costs, the company estimates its forward breakeven level of its pre-salt operations to be ~$20/barrel. David Trainer, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'salt.' 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

Noun

Middle English, from Old English sealt; akin to Old High German salz salt, Lithuanian saldus sweet, Latin sal salt, Greek hals salt, sea

Adjective (2)

by shortening & alteration from assaut, from Middle English, from Anglo-French en saut in rut

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective (2)

1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of salt was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near salt

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

salt

1 of 3 noun
1
a
: a compound in the form of crystals that consists of sodium chloride and is used especially for seasoning or preserving food and in industry

called also common salt

b
: any of numerous compounds formed by replacement of part or all of the hydrogen of an acid by a metal or by a group acting like a metal
2
: an element that gives an appealing or enlivening quality to (as one's life)
3
: skepticism
usually used in the phrases with a grain of salt and with a pinch of salt
4
: sailor

salt

2 of 3 verb
: to treat, preserve, flavor, or supply with salt

salt

3 of 3 adjective
1
a
: containing salt : saline, salty
salt water
b
: having or being one of the four basic taste sensations compare bitter sense 1, sour entry 1 sense 1, sweet entry 1 sense 1b
2
: prepared for use or seasoned with salt
salt pork
saltness noun

Medical Definition

salt

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: a crystalline compound NaCl that is the chloride of sodium, is abundant in nature, and is used especially to season or preserve food or in industry

called also common salt, sodium chloride

b
: a substance (as Glauber's salt) resembling common salt
c
: any of numerous compounds that result from replacement of part or all of the acid hydrogen of an acid by a metal or a group acting like a metal : an ionic crystalline compound
2
salts plural
a
: a mineral or saline mixture (as Epsom salts) used as an aperient or cathartic

salt

2 of 2 adjective
1
2
: being or inducing the one of the four basic taste sensations that is suggestive of seawater compare bitter, sour entry 1, sweet entry 1

Geographical Definition

Salt

geographical name

1
river 200 miles (322 kilometers) long in Arizona flowing west into the Gila River
2
river 100 miles (161 kilometers) long in north central Kentucky flowing into the Ohio River
3
river 200 miles (322 kilometers) long in northeastern Missouri flowing southeast into the Mississippi River

More from Merriam-Webster on salt

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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