Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - salt

~1 n 1 a natural white mineral that is added to food to make it taste better or to preserve it; sodium chloride technical  (Try to reduce the amount of salt you use. | a pinch of salt | table salt (=very small grains of salt you use in cooking) | sea salt (=large grains of salt made by drying sea water) | rock salt (=salt in a solid form rather than in grains)) 2 the salt of the earth someone who is ordinary, but good and honest 3 take sth with a pinch/grain of salt informal to not completely believe what someone tells you because you know that they do not always tell the truth 4 technical a type of chemical substance  (- see also bath salts, Epsom salts, smelling salts, old salt, rub salt into sb's wounds rub1 (7), not worth his salt worth1 (10)) ~2 v 1 to add salt to food to make it taste better 2 also salt down to add salt to food to preserve it 3 to put salt on the roads to prevent them from becoming icy salt sth away phr v to save money for the future, especially dishonestly by hiding it ~3 adj only before noun 1 preserved by salt  (salt pork) 2 salt water water that contains salt, especially naturally in the sea 3 consisting of salt water  (a salt lake)