sal
1
9.6
A large tropical tree from India and Southeast Asia with hard wood and sticky resin
- noun
- Indian
:
sal
- sal tree
Synonyms
9.7
A large tree from South Asia with strong wood for building
is native to a wider region and valued for hard wood and resin
Compounds
sal ammoniac
- Specialized
1
9.9
A white salt used in old batteries, some medicines, and for cleaning metal
sal soda
- Archaic
9.9
A white powder that dissolves in water and is used to make soap, glass, and paper
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word sal comes from the local name sala used in India and Southeast Asia for the same tree. Because people there long used its very hard wood and sticky resin, English kept the name sal to mean this strong tropical tree and its wood.