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Definition of "saline" [sa•line•sal•ine]

  • Of, relating to, or containing salt; salty. (adjective)
  • Of or relating to chemical salts. (adjective)
  • A salt of magnesium or of the alkalis, used in medicine as a cathartic. (noun)
  • A saline solution, especially one that is isotonic with blood and is used in medicine and surgery. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "saline" in a sentence
  • "Homeowners, too, have been making the switch to saline, which is about one-twelfth as salty as ocean water."
  • "These breast implants are available in a wide variety of shapes, types and sizes, and usually they will be made of an outer layer of silicone, and then are filled with either silicone gel or saline, which is salt water."
  • "The Etosha Pan is almost devoid of macrophytic vegetation and is classified as a saline desert."
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