saline
n. uncountablen. a mixture of salt and water. Doctors often use it to clean wounds or to put fluids back into a person's body through a tube.
n. a solution of sodium chloride in sterile water, typically at a concentration of 0.9 percent to match human blood. Often used for intravenous infusion, wound irrigation, or as a medium for other medications.
The nurse cleaned the cut with a sterile saline solution.
After the surgery, the patient was given saline through an IV to prevent dehydration.
In clinical settings, isotonic saline is the standard fluid for rehydration because its salt concentration mirrors that of human cells, preventing osmotic shock during rapid administration.
PIE word *séh₂ls From Middle English salyne, from Medieval Latin salīna and Middle French salin, from Latin sal (“salt”).