noun
Common
sodium
SOH-deerm
Sodium (noun) means a soft, silvery, highly reactive chemical element (symbol Na) that never occurs alone in nature. Example: “Sodium reacts fiercely with water, so scientists store it under oil.”
noun
1
A soft, silvery, highly reactive chemical element (symbol Na) that never occurs alone in nature.
"Sodium reacts fiercely with water, so scientists store it under oil."
"Doctors advise cutting down on the sodium in processed food."
"Table salt is a compound of sodium and chlorine."
How to use sodium
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA chemical element found combined with other substances, most familiarly in table salt.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
sodium chloride
low-sodium diet
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like sodium.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- sodiums
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
_____ reacts fiercely with water, so scientists store it under oil.
Etymology
Coined in 1808 by chemist Humphry Davy, from "soda" + the element-naming suffix -ium.
Synonyms
View more →
Na
natrium
Related words
Rhymes for sodium
See all rhymes for sodium →Frequently asked questions
What does “sodium” mean?
The word “sodium” means a soft, silvery, highly reactive chemical element (symbol Na) that never occurs alone in nature. In plain terms, a chemical element found combined with other substances, most familiarly in table salt.
How do you pronounce “sodium”?
“Sodium” is pronounced SOH-deerm (/ˈsoʊ.di.əm/ in IPA).
How do you use “sodium” in a sentence?
Here is “sodium” used in a sentence: “Table salt is a compound of sodium and chlorine.”
What is another word for “sodium”?
Words with a similar meaning to “sodium” include natrium.
What part of speech is “sodium”?
“Sodium” is a noun.
Where does the word “sodium” come from?
The word “sodium” dates back to around 1808. Coined in 1808 by chemist Humphry Davy, from "soda" + the element-naming suffix -ium.
Is “sodium” a common word?
“Sodium” is a fairly common word in modern English.
What is the difference between sodium and salt?
Sodium is a single chemical element (symbol Na), while table salt is a compound called sodium chloride that combines sodium with chlorine. Because sodium never occurs alone in nature, the sodium in food is almost always bound to other elements, most often as salt.
Why is sodium listed separately from salt on nutrition labels?
Nutrition labels report sodium because it is the part of salt linked to health measures such as blood pressure. Since salt is only about 40 percent sodium by weight, the sodium figure on a label is lower than the total amount of salt in the food.
What does the chemical symbol "Na" for sodium stand for?
The symbol "Na" comes from natrium, the Latin-based name for the element, which is why the abbreviation does not match the English spelling. For this reason sodium is still called natrium in some scientific and European contexts.
Why is sodium never found on its own in nature?
Sodium is a highly reactive element, so it readily combines with other substances rather than existing in pure form. In nature it is always locked into compounds, such as sodium chloride in seawater and rock salt.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include sodium:
