salty

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Tasting of salt.

   A few types of molecules get sensed by receptors on the tongue. Protons coming off of acids ping receptors for "sour." Sugars get received as "sweet." Bitter, salty, and the proteinaceous flavor umami all set off their own neural cascades.

2. 2
   adj

   Containing salt.

   At Zipaquirá, the salty ore is taken from the mine in chunks, then thrown into large tanks of water, where the salt is dissolved out. The resulting brine is drawn off into pipelines, containers, or tank trucks and sold […]

3. 3
   adj

   Coarse; provocative; earthy.

   In the following piece she has some characteristically salty things to say about what happens when law and medicine meet.

4. 4
   adj

   Experienced, especially used to indicate a veteran of the naval services; salty dog (from salt of the sea).

   There's a sailor's tavern at the end of the street where I could find companionship if I chose (one catches salty boys going in and out at any hour) but only music matters to me now.

5. 5
   adj

   Irritated, annoyed, angry, bitter.

   Ray and Fuzzy were salty with our unhip no-playing piano player, because she broke time on the piano so bad that the strings yelled whoa to the hammers.

6. 6
   adj

   containing or filled with salt

7. 7
   adj

   engagingly stimulating or provocative

8. 8
   adj

   one of the four basic taste sensations

Etymology

PIE word *sḗh₂l From Middle English salti, equivalent to salt + -y. Compare Saterland Frisian soaltig (“salty”), West Frisian sâltich (“salty”), Dutch zoutig (“salty”), German Low German soltig (“salty”), German salzig (“salty”). (coarse; irritated, annoyed): Referencing the sharp, 'spicy' flavor of salt. (indignant): Perhaps implying the person is a crybaby, shedding salty tears, or derived from the preceding.