salt out

To add salt to a liquid so that a dissolved substance comes out as a solid.

• They salted out the protein.
• The chemist used extra salt to salt out the compound.
• Can we salt this substance out of the mixture?

How to use it: salt something out of something (They salted the protein out of the solution.); salt something out (The chemist salted the dissolved compound out.)

Similar words: precipitate

Opposites: dissolve

Common phrases: salt out proteins, salt out something

To come out of a liquid as a solid when salt is added.

• The protein began to salt out.
• Some dissolved substances salt out at high salt concentrations.
• The compound salted out as small crystals.

How to use it: salt out of something (The protein salted out of the solution.)

Similar words: precipitate, crystallize

Opposites: dissolve

Common phrases: salt out readily, salt out of solution

To end a pregnancy by putting a salt solution into the womb.

• The report described how doctors salted out a fetus.
• The historical account says the fetus was salted out.
• That old textbook uses “salt out” for a method of abortion.

How to use it: salt out a fetus (The old medical text described salting out a fetus.)

Similar words: abort

Common phrases: salt out a fetus, salt out the fetus