Salt

sawlt, n. chloride of sodium, or common salt, a well-known substance used for seasoning, found either in the earth or obtained by evaporation from sea-water: anything like salt: seasoning: piquancy: abatement, modification, allowance: an experienced sailor: that which preserves from corruption: an antiseptic: ( chem. ) a body composed of an acid and a base united in definite proportions, or of bromine, chlorine, fluorine, or iodine, with a metal or metalloid: ( obs. ) lust.— v.t. to sprinkle or season with salt: to fill with salt between the timbers for preservation.— adj. containing salt: tasting of salt: overflowed with, or growing in, salt-water: pungent: lecherous: ( coll. ) costly, expensive— ns. Salt′-block , a salt-evaporating apparatus; Salt′-bott′om , a flat piece of ground covered with saline efflorescences: Salt′-bush , an Australian plant of the goose-foot family; Salt′-cake , the crude sodium sulphate occurring as a by-product in the manufacture of hydrochloric acid; Salt′-cat , a mixture given as a digestive to pigeons; Salt′er , one who salts, or who makes, sells, or deals in salt, as in Drysalter : a trout leaving salt-water to ascend a stream; Sal′tern , salt-works; Salt′-foot , a large saltcellar marking the boundary between the superior and inferior guests; Salt′-gauge , an instrument for testing the strength of brine; Salt′-glaze , a glaze produced upon ceramic ware by putting common salt in the kilns after they have been fired.— adj. Salt′-green ( Shak. ), sea-green.— ns. Salt′-group , a series of rocks containing salt, as the Onondaga salt-group; Salt′-hold′er , a saltcellar; Salt′-horse , salted beef; Salt′ie , the salt-water fluke or dab; Salt′ing , the act of sprinkling with salt: the celebration of the Eton 'Montem.'— adj. Salt′ish , somewhat salt.— adv. Salt′ishly , so as to be moderately salt.— ns. Salt′ishne , a moderate degree of saltne ; Salt′-junk , hard salt beef for use at sea.— adj. Salt′le , without salt: tastele .— n. Salt′-lick , a place to which animals resort for salt.— adv. Salt′ly .— ns. Salt′-marsh , land liable to be overflowed by the sea or the waters of estuaries; Salt′-marsh cat′erpillar , the hairy larva of an arctiid moth; Salt′-marsh hen , a clapper-rail; Salt′-marsh terr′apin , the diamond-backed turtle; Salt′-mine , a mine where rock-salt is obtained; Salt′ne , impregnation with salt; Salt′-pan , a pan, basin, or pit where salt is obtained or made; Salt′-pit , a pit where salt is obtained; Salt′-rheum , a cutaneous eruption; Salts , Epsom salt or other salt used as a medicine.— adj. Salt′-sliv′ered , slivered and salted, as fish for bait.— ns. Salt′-spoon , a small spoon for serving salt at table; Salt′-spring , a brine-spring; Salt′-wa′ter , water impregnated with salt, sea-water; Salt′-works , a place where salt is made; Salt′-wort , a genus of plants of many species, mostly natives of salt-marshes and sea-shores, one only being found in Britain, the Prickly S., which was formerly burned for the soda it yielded.— adj. Salt′y (same as Saltish ).— Salt a mine , to deposit ore in it cunningly so as to deceive persons who inspect it regarding its value; Salt of lemon , or sorrel , acid pota ium oxalate, a solvent for ink-stains; Salt of soda , sodium carbonate; Salt of tartar , a commercial name for purified pota ium carbonate; Salt of vitriol , sulphate of zinc; Salt of wormwood , carbonate of potash.— Above the salt , at the upper half of the table, among the guests of distinction; Attic salt , wit; Below the salt , at the lower half of the table; Be not worth one's salt , not to deserve even the salt that gives relish to one's food; Bronzing salt , used in burning gun-barrels; Epsom salts , magnesium sulphate, a cathartic; E ential salts , those produced from the juices of plants by crystallisation; Glauber's salt , or Horse salts , a well-known cathartic, used in woollen dyeing; Lay salt on the tail of , to catch; Neutral salt , a salt in which the acid and the base neutralise each other; Rochelle salt , sodium pota ium tartrate, a laxative; Spirits of salt , the old name for muriatic or hydrochloric acid; Take with a grain of salt , to believe with some reserve. [A.S. sealt ; cf. Ger. salz , also L. sal , Gr. hals .]