salt the earth en · VERB
Meanings
- (qualifier:literal) To spread salt over arable land to destroy its fertility, especially as a scorched-earth tactic of war and/or genocide.
- (excessive, idiomatic) After destroying or devastating something, to do something additional to make sure it is permanently destroyed, as a precaution or out of spite.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| salted the earth | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| salted the earth | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| salting the earth | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| salts the earth | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |