† ˈsalt-stone Obs.
[OE. sealtstán: see salt n.1 and stone n. Cf. Du. zoutsteen, MHG. salzsteyn (G. -stein), ON. saltsteinn.]
1. Rock-salt; a mass of rock-salt.
In early use chiefly in allusions to the fate of Lot's wife.
| a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 2564 (Gr.) Heo on sealtstanes sona wurde anlicnesse æfre siððan. a 1000 Sax. Leechd. I. 374 Ᵹenim ᵹeoluwne stan & salt stan & pipor. a 1300 Cursor M. 2855 In a salt stan men seis hir stand. c 1475 Pict. Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 768/2 Hic cautes, a salt-stone. 1535 Fisher Wayes to perfect Religion Wks. (1876) 370. 1585 Higins Junius' Nomencl. 409 Sal natiuus vel fossilis,..Salt naturall, or that is digged out of the earth: saltstone. 1677 Plot Oxfordsh. 37 Besides its saltness it [sc. the water] has such a stink, that it equals the salt stone. 1680 Morden Geog. Rect., Hungary (1685) 94 The colour of the Saltstone is somewhat gray. |
| attrib. 1638 Junius Paint. Ancients 91 The woman..keeping still her old posture in the same salt-stone image. |
2. A salt-cat for pigeons.
| 1425 in Kennett Par. Antiq. (1818) II. 255, i saltstone empt. pro columbario. 1584 in Rogers Agric. & Prices VI. 575/1, 4 saltstones for the dovecot {at} 1/9. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. iii. xxii. 165 Pigeons delight in salt stones. |