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| salt [ sawlt ] |
noun (plural salts) |
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1. white crystals used in food preparation: small white tangy-tasting crystals consisting largely of sodium chloride. Source: seawater, mineral deposits. Use: food seasoning and preservative.
See also sodium chloride
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2. salt container: a container of salt, especially one for use at the table
  Please pass the salt.
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3. crystalline chemical compound: a crystalline compound formed from the neutralization of an acid by a base containing a metal or group acting like a metal
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4. something that adds zest: something that adds zest, piquancy, liveliness, or vigor
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5. dry wit: sharp or dry wit
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6. nautical
Same as old salt
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plural noun salts |
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substance resembling salt: a chemical or crystalline solution used for a particular purpose
smelling salts
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adjective |
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1. preserved with salt: preserved with salt or a salt solution
salt cod
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2. containing salt: containing or consisting of salt
salt tears
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3. containing or associated with salt water: containing, covered with, or growing near salt water
a salt marsh
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4. tasting of salt: tasting or smelling of salt
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transitive verb (past and past participle salt·ed, present participle salt·ing, 3rd person present singular salts) |
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1. season food with salt: to add salt to food, during or after preparation, to emphasize its flavor
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2. preserve food with salt: to preserve food by treating it with salt or a salt solution
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3. put salt on cold ground: to scatter salt over a road or sidewalk to melt ice or prevent it from forming
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4. add zest to something: to add a more lively or entertaining quality to something
She salted her speech with jokes.
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5. enrich ore sample: to enrich a mining area or sample with a valuable ore artificially introduced in order to increase its apparent value
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| [ Old English sealt< Indo-European] |
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| salt·ness noun |
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rub salt in the wound to add to somebody's distress, embarrassment, or sense of shame, often deliberately
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take something with a grain or pinch of salt to listen to something without fully believing it
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the salt of the earth a very good, worthy person or group of people
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worth your salt efficient and doing the job well
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