# salt

/ˈsɔɫt/ (US) · /sˈɒlt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/salt
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. food seasoning

noun · CEFR A1

a white substance from the sea or earth used to make food taste better.

For teachers: sodium chloride (NaCl) used as a food seasoning, preservative, or condiment. Uncountable in general use; countable when referring to specific varieties.

- Please pass the salt so I can season my chips.
- The chef recommended using a coarse sea salt to finish the dish, as the larger crystals provide a more distinct texture than fine table salt.

### 2. chemical compound

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

a substance formed when an acid and a base react together.

For teachers: any of a class of compounds formed by the replacement of one or more hydrogen atoms of an acid with a metal or another positive ion.

- In chemistry class, we learned how to produce a salt by mixing an acid with a base.
- The solubility of the resulting salt depends heavily on the temperature of the solvent and the specific ions involved in the reaction.

### 3. experienced sailor

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

an old or very experienced sailor.

For teachers: an experienced sailor, often used in the phrase 'old salt'.

- The old salt told us stories about his many years at sea.
- The harbor was full of old salts who had spent their entire lives navigating the treacherous currents of the northern coastline.

### 4. internet bitterness

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang

a feeling of being annoyed or upset, especially after losing a game.

For teachers: a state of being resentful, bitter, or angry, typically in the context of online gaming or social media arguments.

- There was a lot of salt in the chat after the team lost the match.
- The forum was filled with salt after the developers announced the controversial changes to the game's mechanics.

### 5. to add seasoning

verb · CEFR A2

to put salt on food to give it more flavor.

For teachers: to season or preserve food by adding salt. Transitive; requires a direct object.

- You should salt the water before you add the pasta.
- The recipe instructs you to salt the meat generously and let it sit for an hour before roasting to ensure the flavor penetrates deeply.

### 6. containing salt

adjective · CEFR B1

tasting of salt or containing salt.

For teachers: containing, consisting of, or preserved with salt.

- The salt air at the beach always makes me feel refreshed.
- The expedition struggled to find fresh water, as most of the local springs were too salt for human consumption.

## Examples

- Please pass the salt for my fries.
- The chef added a pinch of salt to the soup to bring out the flavor of the vegetables.
- Ancient civilizations often used salt as a form of currency because its ability to preserve meat made it essential for survival during long winters.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.