Definition of smelling salts in English:

plural noun

• A pungent substance sniffed as a restorative in cases of faintness or headache, typically consisting of ammonium carbonate mixed with perfume.

  More example sentences

  • ‘She took a deep sniff of her smelling salts. ‘I've been worried sick!’’
  • ‘With a sputtering cough, Cyrus was jerked back into consciousness, the acrid ammonia fumes of the smelling salts under his nose doing their job.’
  • ‘Kodi's eyes snapped open as he fell into a coughing fit caused by the ammonia in the smelling salts.’
  • ‘Alex was waving some smelling salts in front of her face.’
  • ‘Several maids were trying to revive her with smelling salts.’