the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
n. The technical name for sodium.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. In chem., the metal, more generally called sodium, of which the hydroxid and the carbonate constitute caustic soda and washing soda respectively.
Word Usage
"Early chemists had to be fluent in multiple languages and had no trouble flipping back and forth between names like "natrium" and "sodium" (symbol: Na) or "plumbum" and "lead" (symbol: Pb)."