solonchak

noun

sol·​on·​chak

¦sälən¦chak

plural -s

sometimes capitalized

: any of an intrazonal group of strongly saline soils usually light colored and without characteristic structural form and typically developed in poorly drained arid or semiarid areas vegetated mostly by halophytes

Word History

Etymology

Russian, salt marsh, from solonyĭ salty, from sol' salt; akin to Latin sal salt

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