1 B2 neutral
To preserve meat, fish, or vegetables by packing them in salt.
"My great-grandmother used to salt down a whole side of pork every autumn to last through winter."
separable
salt down
B2 neutral separable transitive
To preserve food by covering or packing it in salt.
In plain English
To cover food with lots of salt to keep it fresh for a long time.
What does "salt down" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To apply salt downward/onto food — fully transparent.
Actually means
To cover food with lots of salt to keep it fresh for a long time.
Usage tip
Primarily a culinary or food-preservation term. Less common now that refrigeration is universal, but still used in traditional cooking, cheesemaking, and curing contexts.
Words that pair with "salt down"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
meat fish herring cabbage pork vegetables
How to conjugate "salt down"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
salt down
I/you/we/they
3rd person
salts down
he/she/it
Past simple
salted down
yesterday
Past participle
salted down
have + pp
-ing form
salting down
continuous
Hear "salt down" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "salt down" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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