saleratus

9.9

A white powder used in baking to make dough rise

noun
/ˌsæl.əˈræt.əs/

Archaic

: bicarbonato de sodio

Many old recipes call for saleratus as a leavening agent to make the bread fluffy.

Examples

A baker added saleratus to the dough to help it rise during baking.
He used saleratus to make the fizzy drink more refreshing and light.
He peered in at the brimming barrels of sugar, dried beans, and saleratus.

Fiction book (2002)

Synonyms

baking soda

vssaleratus

29 1.2

A white powder used in baking, cleaning, and to ease heartburn

is a historical name used before the widespread modern term

bicarbonate of soda

vssaleratus

1 3.2

A white powder used for baking, cleaning, and to help an upset stomach

is a formerly used name rather than the current common label

bicarb

vssaleratus

1 4.7

A white powder used in baking to make cakes rise and to ease heartburn

is an earlier name rather than this informal short label now used

sodium bicarbonate

vssaleratus

Specialized

1 3.4

A white powder used in baking, to make fizzy drinks, and to relieve heartburn

is an older name no longer commonly used for that compound

sodium hydrogen carbonate

vssaleratus

Specialized

3.2

A white powder used in baking to make dough rise and to stop heartburn

is an older term not used commonly in present-day language

Surface Forms

saleratus singular

salerati plural

Etymology

Saleratus comes from the old root sal- meaning 'salt', so its name meant a 'salt-like' substance. People used saleratus as an early kind of 'baking soda' to make bread and biscuits rise, which is why the word refers to the white chemical now called sodium bicarbonate.