noun

salt

solt

noun

A white crystalline substance used to season and preserve food, made mainly of sodium chloride.

"She added a pinch of salt to the soup to bring out the flavour."

"Too much salt in your diet can raise blood pressure."

An experienced sailor (usually "old salt").

"The old salt told stories of storms he'd weathered decades ago."

verb

To add salt to food, or to sprinkle something throughout for effect.

"He salted the fries generously before eating them."

"The report was salted with a few exaggerated claims to grab attention."

How to Use Salt

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe everyday seasoning, or, as a verb, to add it or scatter something liberally.

Memory tip

The phrase "take it with a grain of salt" means to be a bit sceptical about something you've been told.

Trace the full origin ↓

Common pairings

a pinch of salt salt and pepper salt the roads worth its salt

Word Forms

more salt comparative, salted past tense, salts plural, salts plural, Salts plural, salts singular, most salt superlative

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She added a pinch of _____ to the soup to bring out the flavour.

Etymology

From Old English sealt, tracing back to a very old Proto-Indo-European root for salt shared across most European languages — also the source of "salary" (Roman soldiers were once paid partly in salt).

Synonyms

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sal

Antonyms

desalt

Related Words

sal

Rhymes for salt

alt malt Walt halt Galt cobalt basalt Tybalt asphalt

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