smelling salts

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.

smelling salts

plural noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of smelling salts¹

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

Sometimes it’s Harris offering Scott smelling salts — a practice Dicker, who is naturally amped, skips.

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Rugby's authorities have no immediate plans to follow American football's NFL in banning 'smelling salts' over concerns they may mask concussion symptoms.

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"We'd be given smelling salts, sponge on the neck, back out and play," he said.

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It wasn't quite the smelling salts and stretchers of 2024, but it was close.

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He would end up on the couch himself with Carl Jung waving a fan and some smelling salts in his face.

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