smelling salts

American  

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. a preparation for smelling, essentially of ammonium carbonate with some agreeable scent, used as a stimulant and restorative.

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smelling salts British  

plural noun

1. a pungent preparation containing crystals of ammonium carbonate that has a stimulant action when sniffed in cases of faintness, headache, etc

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Etymology

Origin of smelling salts

First recorded in 1830–40

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

smelling salts

The hydration break arrived and it wasn't liquid that the underdogs needed, it was oxygen, smelling salts, large brandies.

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026

Ahead of the 2025 season, the league’s head, neck and spine committee recommended that teams end the longtime practice of providing smelling salts to players.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 12, 2026

“I’m a regular user of smelling salts, taking them for a boost of energy before every offensive drive,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 12, 2026

The noted Roman naturalist and historian was indeed an early expert in fermentation, yet he also wrote about “sal ammoniac” — yes, smelling salts — in his encyclopedic work “Natural History,” published in 79 A.D.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 12, 2026

He took a tentative sniff, as if it might be noxious smelling salts.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

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