soda
Americannoun
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sodas
plural
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sodium, as in carbonate of soda.
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a drink made with soda water, flavoring, such as fruit or other syrups, and often ice cream, milk, etc.
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(in faro) the card turned up in the dealing box before one begins to play.
noun
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any of a number of simple inorganic compounds of sodium, such as sodium carbonate ( washing soda ), sodium bicarbonate ( baking soda ), and sodium hydroxide ( caustic soda )
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See soda water
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a fizzy drink
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the top card of the pack in faro
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slang something easily done; a pushover
Regionalisms
See soda pop.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of soda
1550–60; (< Italian ) < Medieval Latin < Arabic suwwādah kind of plant; compare Middle French soulde, soude
Explanation
In many parts of the U.S., soda is a sweet, fizzy drink. There are also some places where you'd call soda "pop," a "soft drink," or "Coke" instead. While you may think of soda as something you order to drink at a restaurant, soda is also used for unflavored carbonated water, or seltzer, and for baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate. There's also sodium carbonate, or "washing soda," which is an ingredient in powdered soap and used to make some types of glass. This kind of soda was originally used to carbonate water, which led to the use of soda to mean "carbonated drink."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
One possibility: a combination with Keurig Dr Pepper’s soon-to-be stand-alone soda business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
The soda giant developed Mountain Dew Baja Blast for the Mexican-style restaurant brand, and the drink has generated billions of dollars in sales since.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Murillo rang up tortillas, cuts of meat, and three-liter Mexican soda bottles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
Tata has been mining soda ash for years in Lake Magadi, a vast area often covered by a whitish salt crust.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
A waitress named Susie put three plastic cups of soda on the counter and then pulled three straws out of her apron pouch without looking down.
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
PepsiCo will be raising prices on some of its chips, dips and sodas in the months ahead, creating confusion and concern among analysts after the company cut prices earlier in the year.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
Think iced fruity drinks, protein shakes and so-called dirty sodas - a concoction of foam, syrups and juices.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
In a world where influencers warn of spiked cortisol levels and disrupted circadian rhythms, plenty of consumers are turning to prebiotic sodas, sugar-free beverages, and refreshers as substitutes.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
"Our results suggest that replacing sugar-sweetened sodas with unsweetened sparkling water may help lower the risk of enamel erosion," said Zulfiqar.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
We took some sodas out of the refrigerator and went out on the deck.
From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson
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