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rock salt

American

noun

common salt occurring in extensive, irregular beds in rocklike masses.

rock salt British

noun

another name for halite

"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

Etymology

Origin of rock salt

First recorded in 1700–10

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.

The winter storm that sent Americans scurrying to buy snowblowers, shovels, and rock salt now has them in a deep freeze.

From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026

To stabilize these ceramics, manganese and iron atoms must remain in the 2+ oxidation state, forming what is known as a rock salt structure where each atom bonds with only two oxygen atoms.

From Science Daily • Dec. 4, 2025

Also popular are the Peking duck, baked free-range chicken with rock salt, diced beef tenderloin with black pepper and the pan-fried eggplant.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 8, 2024

It also warns owners to wash their paws thoroughly after walking in areas that may have been gritted with rock salt, which can be poisonous to pets.

From BBC • Jan. 17, 2024

So he left the bag of rock salt in the stairwell, and took the shovel upstairs.

From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023