Rochelle Salt
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A tartrate of sodium or potas- sium, so called because it was discovered by an apothecary of Rochelle, named Seignette, in 1672. In France it is called sel de Seignette or sel des tombeaux.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Rochelle Salt” mean?
A tartrate of sodium or potas- sium, so called because it was discovered by an apothecary of Rochelle, named Seignette, in 1672. In France it is called sel de Seignette or sel des tombeaux.
Is “Rochelle Salt” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.