Plural of salt; crystalline compounds formed from acids and bases, most commonly referring to sodium chloride (table salt). Also refers to various mineral salts used for health, cooking, or industrial purposes.
From Old English 'sealt', related to Latin 'sal' and Greek 'hals', all from Proto-Indo-European '*sal-' meaning 'salt'. Salt has been so valuable throughout history that it gave us the word 'salary' (Roman soldiers were sometimes paid in salt).
Salt was once so precious it was called 'white gold' and used as currency - Roman soldiers' salaries were sometimes paid in salt, giving us the phrase 'worth his salt'. Today we know that different salts have distinct flavors: sea salt tastes different from mined rock salt due to trace minerals, which is why gourmet cooks collect salts from around the world.
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