smelling salts
Americannoun
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a preparation for smelling, essentially of ammonium carbonate with some agreeable scent, used as a stimulant and restorative.
plural noun
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a pungent preparation containing crystals of ammonium carbonate that has a stimulant action when sniffed in cases of faintness, headache, etc
Etymology
Origin of smelling salts
First recorded in 1830–40
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“I’m a regular user of smelling salts, taking them for a boost of energy before every offensive drive,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2026
Earlier this season, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that 49ers players created a system to make sure everyone has immediate access to smelling salts during games.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2026
Sometimes it’s Harris offering Scott smelling salts — a practice Dicker, who is naturally amped, skips.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 2, 2025
However, in a memo to their teams, obtained by the Associated Press,, external the NFL warned smelling salts also "have the potential to mask certain neurological signs and symptoms, including some potential signs of concussion".
From BBC • Aug. 6, 2025
She passed some smelling salts under the old lady’s nose, making her flinch and moan, but she didn’t wake up.
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.