salt pan

noun

: an undrained natural depression in which water gathers and leaves a deposit of salt on evaporation

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web But even a desiccated salt pan of a lake, Dickman said, has its appeal. Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 10 Oct. 2022 Nation/World Not for the first time, out on the salt pan, my mind had turned to death. Henry Wismayer, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Aug. 2022 Not for the first time, out on the salt pan, my mind had turned to death. Henry Wismayer, Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2022 Along with mangroves, salt pans hold the seawater from entering Mumbai. Nikhil S Dixit, Quartz India, 15 Oct. 2019 This place is a dry landscape dotted with salt pans that hint at a former wetland paradise. Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, 1 Nov. 2019 Powered by a Rolls-Royce EJ200, the same jet engine used in the Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet, the car hurtles so fast across the salt pan track that a twin parachute is needed to bring it to a halt. Washington Post, 8 Nov. 2019 Much of that place is now a dry salt pan—and inhabited by modern Khoisan people, sometimes called Bushmen. Richard Conniff, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2019 Being able to move across the sand quickly is key to their survival—and anyone who has walked or run on a beach knows that the granular nature of sand can slow down movement and expend more energy than walking or running on, say, a dry salt pan. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 17 Oct. 2019 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

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

Dictionary Entries Near salt pan

Cite this Entry

“Salt pan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salt%20pan. Accessed 1 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

salt pan

noun
: an undrained natural depression in which water gathers and leaves a deposit of salt on evaporation

More from Merriam-Webster on salt pan

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!