sodium

[ soh-dee-uhm ]

/ ˈsoʊ di əm /

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noun

Chemistry. a soft, silver-white, metallic element that oxidizes rapidly in moist air, occurring in nature only in the combined state, and used in the synthesis of sodium peroxide, sodium cyanide, and tetraethyllead: a necessary element in the body for the maintenance of normal fluid balance and other physiological functions. Symbol: Na; atomic weight: 22.9898; atomic number: 11; specific gravity: 0.97 at 20°C.

Medicine/Medical, Pharmacology. any salt of sodium, as sodium chloride or sodium bicarbonate, present in or added to foods or beverages as a seasoning or preservative and used in many pharmaceutical products as an antacid, anticoagulant, or other agent.

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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

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Origin of sodium

From New Latin, dating back to 1800–10; see origin at soda, -ium

Words nearby sodium

Södertälje, sodger, sod house, sodic, sodio-, sodium, sodium amide, sodium ammonium phosphate, sodium amytal, sodium arsenite, sodium benzoate

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sodium in a sentence

When you consume too much sodium in your diet, your body holds extra water.
What happens if you eat too much salt?|Alexandra Ossola|August 23, 2021|Popular-Science
Giving water to a baby under six months can offset that balance, leading to low relative sodium, or overhydration.
10 absolutely wild facts about babies|Lauren Leffer|July 2, 2021|Popular-Science
A comet-like tail of sodium atoms streams away from the moon.
Scientists discover likely source of the moon’s faint yellow tail|Sid Perkins|May 3, 2021|Science News For Students
After watching all this, the Oldsmar plant operator quickly lowered the sodium hydroxide level and called his boss.
America’s Drinking Water Is Surprisingly Easy to Poison|by Peter Elkind and Jack Gillum|March 17, 2021|ProPublica

In 2010, the Institute of Medicine called upon the FDA to regulate the amount of sodium permitted in processed foods, saying the agency should require manufacturers to gradually reduce sodium levels over time to allow Americans’ taste buds to adjust.
Americans can’t cut back on salt. One likely reason: Packaged and prepared foods are filled with it.|Marlene Cimons|January 31, 2021|Washington Post
For example, Kuwait recently put a limit the allowable amount of sodium in bread to lower blood pressure.
The Secret to Tracking Ebola, MERS, and Flu? Sewers|Wudan Yan|November 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For all intents and purposes, sodium thiopental is now unavailable in the United States.
Pennsylvania’s Lethal Injection Fiasco|Christopher Moraff|September 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sports drinksSugar and sodium are good things when it comes to sports drinks!
10 Ways to Stay Hydrated (That Aren’t Water)|DailyBurn|July 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But for more rigorous sweat sessions, the low-sodium drink does come up short in replenishing the salt your body loses.
10 Ways to Stay Hydrated (That Aren’t Water)|DailyBurn|July 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Other measurements on nutrition labels—calories, fat, sodium—are passive: They simply state how much is in the food.
Guess Who Doesn’t Want You to Know How Much Added Sugar Is in Your Food|Tim Mak|July 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The metal is then removed, and washed successively with very dilute sodium hydroxid solution, alcohol, and ether.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
This fluid is then heated, adding crystals of sodium acetate until it becomes perfectly clear.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Rarely, sodium urate occurs in crystalline form—slender prisms, arranged in fan- or sheaf-like structures (Fig. 32).
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Glass rods and tubing of sodium glass: for stirring rods, urinary pipets, etc.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Sodium and alcohol reduce common camphor to a mixture of d- and l-borneol.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 2|Various

British Dictionary definitions for sodium

sodium

/ (ˈsəʊdɪəm) /

noun

a very reactive soft silvery-white element of the alkali metal group occurring principally in common salt, Chile saltpetre, and cryolite. Sodium and potassium ions maintain the essential electrolytic balance in living cells. It is used in the production of chemicals, in metallurgy, and, alloyed with potassium, as a cooling medium in nuclear reactors. Symbol: Na; atomic no: 11; atomic wt: 22.989768; valency: 1; relative density: 0.971; melting pt: 97.81±0.03°C; boiling pt: 892.9°C
(as modifier)sodium light

Word Origin for sodium

C19: New Latin, from soda + -ium

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for sodium

sodium

[ sō′dē-əm ]

A soft, lightweight, silvery-white metallic element of the alkali group that reacts explosively with water. It is the most abundant alkali metal on Earth, occurring especially in common salt. Sodium is very malleable, and its compounds have many important uses in industry. Atomic number 11; atomic weight 22.99; melting point 97.8°C; boiling point 892°C; specific gravity 0.971; valence 1. See Periodic Table.