sodium

noun

so·​di·​um ˈsō-dē-əm 

1

: a silver-white soft waxy ductile element of the alkali metal group with atomic number 11 that occurs abundantly in nature in combined form and is very active chemically see Chemical Elements Table

2

: salt sense 1a, sodium chloride

—not used technically

reduced her sodium intake

a low-sodium diet

Examples of sodium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The tint, inspired by that post-facial glow, is packed with moisturizing, plumping, and reparative ingredients like sodium hyaluronate (a derivative of hyaluronic acid), peptides, ceramides, cactus extract, squalane, and sheer pigments. —Kiana Murden, Vogue, 31 Dec. 2024

But sodium occurs in many other minerals, including silicates like amphibole, zeolite and the fluorite mineral cryolite. —David Bressan, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024

The report also recommends that people cut down on sugary drinks and sodium and increase their whole grain intake to make up 50% of all grains eaten. —Randi Richardson, NBC News, 12 Dec. 2024

Sodium concentration, or the amount of sodium in your sweat, varies widely from person to person, says Childress, but, on average, people lose about 1 gram or 1,000 milligrams (mg) of sodium per liter of sweat. —Julia Ries, Outside Online, 11 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from English soda

First Known Use

1808, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sodium

• sodium azide
• sodium benzoate
• sodium bicarbonate
• sodium borohydride
• sodium carbonate
• sodium chlorate
• sodium chloride
• sodium citrate
• sodium cyanide
• sodium fluoride
• sodium fluoroacetate
• sodium hydroxide
• sodium hypochlorite
• sodium lauryl sulfate
• sodium metasilicate
• sodium nitrate
• sodium nitrite
• sodium pump
• sodium salicylate
• sodium sulfate
• sodium thiosulfate
• sodium tripolyphosphate
• sodium-vapor lamp

Kids Definition

sodium

noun

so·​di·​um ˈsōd-ē-əm 

: a soft waxy silver-white metallic element that is chemically very active and is common in nature in combined form see element

Medical Definition

sodium

noun

so·​di·​um ˈsōd-ē-əm 

: a silver white soft waxy ductile element of the alkali metal group that occurs abundantly in nature in combined form and is very active chemically

—symbol Na see Chemical Elements Table