What does sodium mean?
Sodium is a chemical element and one of the alkali metals, identified by the symbol Na and the atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery metal that reacts readily with water and is therefore rarely encountered in its elemental form in everyday life. The word also refers to sodium ions and to sodium-containing substances in food and the body, as in discussions of dietary sodium or the role of sodium in nerve transmission and muscle contraction. Sodium chloride, commonly known as table salt, is its best-known compound; sodium bicarbonate is another familiar substance, used in baking and as an antacid. In nutrition, “sodium” is the preferred term when describing the mineral component of food, rather than implying that salt itself is synonymous with sodium. The name comes through New Latin from soda, reflecting the historical association between the element and the alkali substances then used in glassmaking, soapmaking, and related trades.
nounA soft, silvery-white chemical element of the alkali metals, with the symbol Na and atomic number 11. In nutrition and biology, the term may also refer to sodium ions or sodium present in compounds such as table salt.
- The chemical element sodium, a soft alkali metal with the symbol Na.
- Sodium in the form of an ion or as a component of food and biological compounds, especially when discussing nutrition or bodily fluids.
"The recipe calls for a small amount of sodium, preferably in the form of salt."
"Sodium reacts vigorously with water, releasing hydrogen gas and heat."
"People with certain medical conditions may need to limit their intake of sodium."
"The doctor recommended a diet low in sodium."
Rare; sodium is normally used as an uncountable noun when referring to the element or to the mineral nutrient.
"The samples contained trace amounts of sodiums in different oxidation states."
The metal that gives table salt its familiar name also helps nerves transmit signals and muscles contract.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sodium come from?
The English name sodium comes from New Latin sodium, a term formed from soda with the chemical suffix -ium. Humphry Davy used the name for the newly isolated element in the early nineteenth century. Soda itself has earlier European chemical and commercial associations, reflecting the use of alkali substances in processes such as glassmaking and soapmaking.
Related word forms
How sodium is actually used
In technical chemistry, sodium refers to the element itself. In nutritional and medical contexts, it usually means sodium ions or sodium-containing compounds, especially sodium chloride. The element is highly reactive and is normally encountered in compounds rather than as a free metal.