soda
Americannoun
-
sodas
plural
-
sodium, as in carbonate of soda.
-
a drink made with soda water, flavoring, such as fruit or other syrups, and often ice cream, milk, etc.
-
(in faro) the card turned up in the dealing box before one begins to play.
noun
-
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 )
-
See soda water
-
a fizzy drink
-
the top card of the pack in faro
-
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:
Among them was Pops, a soda-and-burger joint on Route 66 that today sells more than 700 flavors of soda.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
By the third inning, the children were taking a break from the heat, sipping on water, juice and soda to hydrate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
Kroger’s managers bargained separately over individual product categories like chips and soda, even if the same company sold both.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Schwartz’s, one of Montreal’s most famous delis, has stopped serving the iconic US-made black cherry soda that has been a fixture at the restaurant for decades.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
Somkit shrugged and slugged a big gulp of soda.
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
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
The company has rolled out a series of deals, while introducing new items such as dirty sodas and other high-margin beverages.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Sugar-sweetened beverages included sodas, fruit punches, lemonades, iced teas, sports drinks and non-carbonated fruit drinks.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026
Mustafa pours an assortment of sodas and water into plastic cups and sets them out on the counter.
From "Amina's Voice" by Hena Khan
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.
