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
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
Synonyms
Examples of saline in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
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
Los Angeles, roughly 350 miles to the south, has been importing water from this eerie, hyper-saline lake since World War II.
—Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2023
The good news is that these tiny creatures have some ability to adapt to higher saline concentrations within a matter of months.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 10 Feb. 2022
Emmett Lindner, New York Times, 29 June 2023
Zeolites are crystalline aluminosilicates typically formed by a chemical reaction between volcanic glass and saline water.
—Cathrine Todd, Forbes, 20 Apr. 2023
Nasal aspirator Try using nasal saline and then use a nasal aspirator to remove the mucous in younger toddlers.
—Christin Perry, Parents, 19 Aug. 2023
Patterson wrote that after the meal, she, too was, hospitalized with stomach pains and diarrhea and was put on a saline drip.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2023
The Cota 45 wines are gorgeous expressions of Sanlúcar, all unfortified, some aged under flor like a manzanilla, some not, but all fresh, saline, delicate but intense.
—Eric Asimov, New York Times, 3 July 2023
The trials of the drug were placebo-controlled, meaning that women came in for several days and either received the drug, or a saline solution through the infusion.
—Katharine Gammon, STAT, 26 June 2023
Relieve a stuffy nose with saline drops or nasal spray.
—Maggie O'Neill, Health, 10 June 2023
On the palate, the peat increases along with notes of grape, watermelon, vanilla, and even a bit of saline.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 24 May 2023
See More
Adjective
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
Los Angeles, roughly 350 miles to the south, has been importing water from this eerie, hyper-saline lake since World War II.
—Los Angeles Times, 2 Jan. 2023
The good news is that these tiny creatures have some ability to adapt to higher saline concentrations within a matter of months.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 10 Feb. 2022
Noun
During their egg retrieval procedures, a first surgical step in some fertility treatments, a nurse had secretly swapped out their pain medication, fentanyl, for saline, a solution of salt and water.
—Emmett Lindner, New York Times, 29 June 2023
Zeolites are crystalline aluminosilicates typically formed by a chemical reaction between volcanic glass and saline water.
—Cathrine Todd, Forbes, 20 Apr. 2023
Nasal aspirator Try using nasal saline and then use a nasal aspirator to remove the mucous in younger toddlers.
—Christin Perry, Parents, 19 Aug. 2023
Patterson wrote that after the meal, she, too was, hospitalized with stomach pains and diarrhea and was put on a saline drip.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2023
The Cota 45 wines are gorgeous expressions of Sanlúcar, all unfortified, some aged under flor like a manzanilla, some not, but all fresh, saline, delicate but intense.
—Eric Asimov, New York Times, 3 July 2023
The trials of the drug were placebo-controlled, meaning that women came in for several days and either received the drug, or a saline solution through the infusion.
—Katharine Gammon, STAT, 26 June 2023
Relieve a stuffy nose with saline drops or nasal spray.
—Maggie O'Neill, Health, 10 June 2023
On the palate, the peat increases along with notes of grape, watermelon, vanilla, and even a bit of saline.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 24 May 2023
See More
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
Phrases Containing saline
Dictionary Entries Near saline
Cite this Entry
“Saline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saline. Accessed 26 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
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
noun
sā-ˈlin-ət-ē
sə-
Medical Definition
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 noun1
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
Nglish: Translation of saline for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of saline for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share