Glauber's salt
/'glaubəz'sɔ:lt/ Cách viết khác : (Glauber's_salts) /'glaubəz'sɔ:lts/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: * A hydrated sodium sulfate compound (Na₂SO₄·10H₂O), specifically the decahydrate form. It is a colorless, crystalline salt historically and medicinally used as a strong laxative or cathartic agent to induce bowel movements.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- In the 17th century, Glauber's salt was discovered and used as a purgative medicine.
- The laboratory sample contained large, transparent crystals of Glauber's salt.
- The old medical text recommended a solution of Glauber's salt for certain treatments.
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used in its plural form "Glauber's salts" in medical and historical contexts, even when referring to the substance in general.
- The apothecary prepared a dose of Glauber's salts.
Variants and Related Words
- Glauber's salts (n): The common plural form of the term.
- Sodium sulfate decahydrate (n): The modern, systematic chemical name for the compound.
- Mirabilite (n): The natural mineral form of sodium sulfate decahydrate.
Synonyms
- Sodium sulfate decahydrate (Chemical synonym)
- Sal mirabilis (Historical Latin name meaning "wonderful salt")
Notes on Meaning
- The name "Glauber's salt" is an eponym, derived from the German chemist Johann Rudolf Glauber, who first prepared the compound in the 17th century.
- While its primary historical use was medicinal, it also has industrial applications, such as in the manufacture of glass and paper.
- In modern contexts, the precise chemical name "sodium sulfate decahydrate" is typically preferred in scientific writing.
Noun
- (Na2SO4.10H2O) a colorless salt used as a cathartic