(salt )

1. Pert. to, containing or treated with salt.
2. To treat with salt or make salty.
3. Any mineral salt or saline mixture used as an aperient or cathartic, e.g., epsom salts or Glauber salt.
4. In chemistry, a compound consisting of a positive ion other than hydrogen and a negative ion other than hydroxyl.
5. A chemical compound resulting from the interaction of an acid and a base.
6. Sodium chloride.

Salts serve the following roles in the body: maintenance of proper osmotic conditions; maintenance of water balance; regulation of blood volume; maintenance of proper acid-base balance; provision for essential constituents of tissue, esp. of bones and teeth; maintenance of normal irritability of muscle and nerve cells; maintenance of conditions for coagulation of the blood; provision for essential components of certain enzyme systems, respiratory pigments and hormones; and regulation of cell membrane and capillary permeability.

SEE: sodium chloride.

Salts and water are the inorganic (mineral) constituents of the body. They play specific roles in the functions of cells and are indispensable for life. The principal salts are chlorides, carbonates, bicarbonates, sulfates, and phosphates, combined with sodium, potassium, calcium, or magnesium.

acid s.A salt in which one or more hydrogen atoms is replaceable.

aminohippuric acid sodium s.The sodium salt of aminohippuric acid. It is given intravenously to test renal blood flow and the excretory capacity of the renal tubules.

basic s.1A salt retaining the ability to react with an acid radical.2A salt of a strong base and a weak acid, which has a pH > 7.0, e.g., sodium acetate.

bath s.1Any of several water-soluble inorganic crystalline compounds, such as Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate), baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), or table salt (sodium chloride), usually colored and scented, and designed to be added to a bath. The salts soften the bathwater and purportedly improve cleaning and enhance the bathing experience.2Methylenedioxypyrovalerone.

bile s.Any of the alkali salts of bile sodium glycocholate and sodium taurocholate.

buffer s.A salt that fixes excess amounts of acid or alkali without a change in hydrogen ion concentration.

double s.Any salt formed from two other salts.

epsom s.Magnesium sulfate.

glow s.Rubbing of the entire body with moist salt for stimulation.

hypochlorite s.A salt of hypochlorous acid used in household bleach and as an oxidizer, deodorant, and disinfectant.

iodized s.A salt containing a trace amount of sodium or potassium iodide in sodium chloride. It is an important source of iodine in the diet. Its use prevents goiter due to iodine deficiency.

neutral s.An ionic compound containing no replaceable hydrogen or hydroxyl ions.

Rochelle s.Potassium sodium tartrate, a colorless, transparent powder having a cooling and saline taste and formerly used as a saline cathartic.

rock s.Sodium chloride in its natural state of rocklike masses in beds or flats.

sea s.A mixture of salts, mainly sodium chloride, obtained by evaporation from sea water.

smelling s. A colloquial term for aromatic spirits of ammonia. When the sealed capsule is opened, pungent ammonia gas is released.

CAS # 506-87-6 (ammonium carbonate)

substitute s.A chemical, e.g., potassium chloride, with a flavor like that of table salt but with a negligible sodium content. It is used by those whose medical condition requires limited sodium intake.

table s.Sodium chloride.