saline
Americanadjective
-
of, containing, or resembling common table salt; salty or saltlike.
a saline solution.
-
of or relating to a chemical salt, especially of sodium, potassium, magnesium, etc., as used as a cathartic.
-
of or relating to a method of abortion involving injection of hypertonic saline solution into the amniotic cavity during the second trimester.
noun
-
a sterile solution of sodium chloride used to dilute medications or for intravenous therapy.
-
salty water; a salty solution.
adjective
-
of, concerned with, consisting of, or containing common salt
a saline taste
-
med of or relating to a saline
-
of, concerned with, consisting of, or containing any chemical salt, esp a metallic salt resembling sodium chloride
noun
Other Word Forms
- hypersaline adjective
- nonsaline adjective
- salinity noun
- semisaline adjective
- subsaline adjective
- unsaline adjective
Etymology
Origin of saline
First recorded in 1400–50; Middle English: “composed of salt,” from Latin salīnus “salty,” equivalent to sal “salt” + -īnus adjective suffix; sal, -ine 1
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.
Professor Tregoning says that a nasal spray can help with a blocked nose but all you need is a simple saline spray which is just salt and water.
From BBC
Yet, 31 years later, the saline lake east of Yosemite is still about 9 feet below the required level.
From Los Angeles Times
To prevent the saline solution with the gold flakes from evaporating, the drop of gold flakes and saline are sealed and then covered with another glass plate.
From Science Daily
Several dozen horses calmly graze along the shores of Mono Lake, a sparkling saline expanse spread out before the jagged Sierra Nevada mountains.
From Los Angeles Times
They scrounged for clean blankets, saline and other emergency medical supplies in the dusty and mud-caked camp.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
