glauber's salt

/'glaubəz'sɔ:lt/ Cách viết khác : (Glauber's_salts) /'glaubəz'sɔ:lts/

Thân thiện

A scientist carefully weighs a sample of Glauber's salt in the laboratory.

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.

Học thuật

Noun

1. (Na2SO4.10H2O) a colorless salt used as a cathartic

Từ đồng nghĩa

• Glauber's salt
• Glauber's salts