bath salts

plural noun

1

: a usually colored crystalline compound for perfuming and softening bathwater

2

: any of various synthetic illicit drugs with stimulant and sometimes hallucinogenic properties that are used (as by being injected or snorted) typically in the form of a white or brown crystalline powder

Examples of bath salts in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Gift it full of smaller kitchen items, such as homemade jams and salsas, or fill it with bathroom items like bath bombs, handmade soaps, and small-batch bath salts. —Amanda Ogle, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2023

Items range depending on the box, with some including rose-scented bath bombs, vanilla candles, matches and bath salts. —Mariah Thomas, Good Housekeeping, 15 Sep. 2022

The Original Aromatic Shower Steamer Set For those who don’t have time to soak in a tub full of bath salts, but want to reap similar wellness benefits, shower steamers are a great alternative. —Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 21 Sep. 2023

Maude Tub Kit No. 1 The tub kit® features soak bath salts in scent no. 1, and the coconut milk bath. —India Espy-Jones, Essence, 30 Aug. 2023

New substances— bath salts, spice, K2, synthetic cannabinoids and fentanyl analogs—continually appear there, given the ready availability of their chemical precursors, and arising from attempts to skirt laws and regulations, or simply out of consumer preference, with alarming frequency. —Edward Sisco, Scientific American, 22 Aug. 2023

For gifts that inspire compassion, opt for more of the self-care route and think of items that will encourage wellness, rest, and rejuvenation, like bath salts or candles. —Dominique Fluker, Essence, 4 Aug. 2023

Extra body wash, bars of soap, and bath salts can be tucked away and out of sight rather than taking up precious space in the linen closet or shower. —Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2023

Moreover, the Orli offers Tea Forte wellness teas and Sense Aromatherapy bath salts to further ensure your stay is as zen as possible. —Liz Kadar, Redbook, 15 June 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

bath salts

noun plural

1

: a usually colored crystalline compound for perfuming and softening bathwater

2

: any of various synthetic, illicit, stimulant drugs that contain derivatives of cathinone (such as MDPV) and are typically sold as white or brown crystalline powders

Los Angeles County health officials warned Tuesday against the use of bath salts—the designer drug involved in a series of bizarre incidents and arrests—just one week after a new study charted a skyrocketing number of calls to U.S. poison control centers about the drug.

—Wesley Lowery, The Los Angeles Times

—sometimes singular

Although the man was later proven to not be under the influence of bath salt, the incident nonetheless brought the drug national attention.

—Lauren McGaughy, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, Louisiana)